This angry snort not only stunned Xu Mo, but also surprised Qi Huai and his son.
The Minister of Rites asked with concern, "Old Dou, have you run into someone you know?"
Dou Weiming's face was stern, and his tone was cold and hard. "How could that be? What kind of mediocre person am I? How could I possibly know Xu Jieyuan, a student of the Imperial Academy from Anshui County?"
Minister of Rites, "..."
They've dug up all their secrets, and they still say they don't know them? They're just being stubborn.
He didn't want to get involved, so he rolled up his sleeves and watched the show from the sidelines, subtly hinting to Qi Huai to shut up.
Dou Weiming didn't say anything, just stood there sulking.
After a long while, Xu Mo finally dared to straighten up. Seeing the spirited middle-aged man, he greeted him with a wry smile, "Student Xu Mo greets Your Excellency, Prefect. It has been almost two years since we parted in Anshui County. I wonder how you have been?"
When they parted, Xu Mo was just a scholar.
When they met again, he had become the top scholar in the provincial examination and was preparing for the metropolitan examination.
What should have been a joyous reunion turned into an awkward situation due to Xu Mo's deliberate concealment. Especially in this unexpected turn of events, even the precocious and intelligent Xu Jieyuan lost his composure and could only smile wryly and bow, not daring to get up for a long time.
Watching from the side, Jiang Sheng couldn't help but feel sorry for her and muttered, "Big brother, if you keep bending over like this, you might break."
Chang Yan quickly covered her mouth, afraid that someone would hear.
My elder brother is so intelligent; even if he can't get up after bowing deeply, he must have his own reasons.
As expected.
After about half a cup of tea's time, Dou Weiming couldn't hold back any longer. He stepped forward, grabbed Xu Mo with one hand, and angrily scolded, "Are you planning to take the imperial examination in February like the prefectural examination, lying on your stomach?"
The prefect loves talented people and will certainly not watch his most outstanding student work himself to death here.
Xu Mo pursed his lips and said sincerely, "I feel guilty. I broke my promise first, and I was wrong."
As he spoke, he bowed again.
Dou Weiming used both hands to support him this time, but his mouth was still nagging, "I told you to come find me as soon as you entered Fengjing, but you've been here for more than half a year without making a sound. If my wife hadn't been craving sausages and cured meats before the New Year and had gone to Youranju to taste the old flavors, I wouldn't have known that you had come so long ago."
"That's fine, but you, a student preparing for the imperial examinations, actually dared to get involved..." He suddenly lowered his voice, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and continued, "You actually dared to get involved in the imperial examination cheating case. If Old Qi hadn't spoken to me, he would have been dragged in too."
The Minister of Rites beside him agreed wholeheartedly, nodding as he glanced at Qi Huai.
This made Qi Huai blush with embarrassment, wishing he could bury his head in his crotch.
Xu Mo seized the opportunity and sincerely explained, "I dared not visit you because I was afraid of implicating you, sir. Cheating in the imperial examinations is a serious matter, and I was afraid..."
Dou Weiming suddenly interjected, "You know this is a serious matter, you know fear!"
Xu Mo immediately became solemn and dared not utter another sound.
"Do you think the Zhu family is only backed by the Zhu family? The relationships among the aristocratic families of Fengjing are intricate and complex. They have marriage ties and business partnerships with each other, and they are connected like a large tree that no one can shake." Dou Weiming said slowly, "You, a thin and weak elementary school student, think you can uproot them? This is not Anshui County, and they are not the Sun family."
Indeed.
Fengjing is far more complex than Anshui County, and the power of the Fengjing aristocratic families far surpasses that of the Wang, Sun, and Bian families.
Back then, the Sun family's arrogance stemmed from the Fang family's support. The Wang family's eldest daughter and mother also pursued Fang Heng for the Fang family's sake. Even Prefect He was held hostage by the Fang family and had no choice but to target the children in the Zanhua Courtyard.
But Fengjing is right under the emperor's nose, with the imperial family in charge. Shouldn't it be more fair and just?
As if understanding Xu Mo's confusion, Dou Weiming smiled.
“The imperial family is indeed wise, and cheating in the imperial examinations is not something the imperial family wants to see. But don’t forget, the powerful families of Fengjing are very complex, and the imperial family cannot act rashly.” He said slowly, “Pulling out a radish brings out the mud. The imperial family still needs the powerful families to serve it. How can we bring down most of the families of Fengjing in one fell swoop for the sake of a mere ghostwriter?”
Even if they could, after the downfall, who would the imperial family use?
Wouldn't those powerful families protest, get angry, or even rebel?
Even he, a minister, knew that the way to govern a country lies in balance, so how could the imperial family not understand?
“Amo, you don’t understand. Even though the imperial family sits in that position, they can’t do whatever they want.” Dou Weiming said earnestly, “You can believe in the wisdom of the imperial family, but don’t expect too much.”
Black is black, and white is white.
Right is not necessarily right, and wrong is not necessarily wrong.
The integrity, the fearlessness of power, and the indifference to temptation that his father had so earnestly taught him shattered at this moment, forming new patterns.
Xu Mo had always thought he had become much more worldly after entering Fengjing, but only now did he realize that he was still far from it.
The powerful families of Fengjing remain unshakable, and the corruption in the imperial examinations cannot be exposed. Those ghostwriters will continue to exist, continue to be exploited, and continue to serve as ghostwriters for the children of these powerful families.
Xu Mo's eyes welled up with tears. He clenched his fists and choked out, "Then An Jun... what about An Jun?"
If the imperial family really doesn't punish the cheating in the imperial examinations, wouldn't they be harming Anjun?
"Don't worry, he's fine." Dou Weiming belatedly realized that he had spoken too harshly, and patted Xu Mo's shoulder. "It's not that cheating in the imperial examinations can't be dealt with, but it can't be dealt with hastily. This thing is like a boil; every time you gently poke it open, the surface heals, but the inside is still filthy."
The Minister of Rites chimed in, "To uproot him completely, we must have enough patience to let the knife penetrate to the bottom before we can kill him with one blow."
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