Let's not beat around the bush, Fang Huai-ren wants it.
The Ju family has a favored Consort Ju and a junior member serving as a scholar in the Grand Secretariat, which will give him strong support from the Grand Secretary.
Judging from the Ju family head's words, if he were to step forward, the Ju family would no longer provide him with any support.
Fang Huai-ren was unwilling to believe it and tentatively asked, "What conflict does the matter of whether or not one is the Grand Secretary have with today's imperial examination fraud?"
The head of the Ju family glanced at her and said in a light tone, "The scandal of cheating in the imperial examinations has been going on for too long. The Imperial Concubine is a little tired of it and just wants to deal with it quickly."
Even if it means sacrificing the eldest son of the Fang family, even if it means implicating all the members of the Fang family.
Fang Huai-ren almost laughed in anger, "If the Fang family really falls into ruin, it will not benefit the eldest prince at all."
"So you think it's beneficial to incite a riot among the students of the whole country?" Patriarch Ju sneered. "You shouldn't have cheated in the imperial examinations in the first place, and now you're just reaping the consequences of your own actions."
It sounds righteous and righteous, but it's actually a dog-eat-dog world.
Consort Ju did not trust the Fang family, so she took advantage of the situation and used the excuse of cheating in the imperial examination to warn the Fang family, cut off the arm of the current top scholar, and then used the future position of Grand Secretary as bait, or perhaps to appease them.
The Fang family currently only has two options.
He stood up against the students of the world, offended Consort Ju, and did everything in his power to protect his legitimate son, Fang Yuan.
He remained on the sidelines, sacrificing Fang Yuan to protect himself while simultaneously gaining the position of Grand Secretary.
Who is right and who is wrong is a choice for them to make.
The head of the Ju family watched Fang Huai Ren hesitate in place, and disdainfully released his sleeve.
At this point, the emperor spoke, allowing the students to recount their grievances.
Fang Huai-ren remained motionless, only closing his eyes in heartache.
What does it matter if they're biological fathers or sons? In the end, they still sacrificed Fang Yuan for the position of Grand Secretary.
The head of the Ju family turned around with a cold smile and continued to watch the commotion.
Xu Mo also curled the corners of his mouth, knowing that his attempt to sow discord had succeeded.
It is also known that this imperial examination fraud case can finally be completely fair and just.
"Your Majesty, although I have not passed the imperial examination, I know that an examination paper cannot belong to two people. I implore Your Majesty to reveal the truth about the cheating in the imperial examination two years ago."
"We implore Your Majesty to reveal the truth and make public the examination paper of the top scholar from that year."
In fact, at this point in the incident, everyone knows who is right and who is wrong; the only question is finding the key to convicting Fang Yuan.
For example, the exam paper that was modified, or the transcriber who changed the name back then.
The emperor glanced at Fang Huai Ren out of the corner of his eye and saw him looking like a wilted eggplant, his lips curving upwards and downwards in a quick motion. He sighed helplessly, "Since everyone insists, then I'll trouble Minister Qi to show the original scroll to everyone."
Qi Zhen received the order and rushed back to the examination hall as quickly as possible. After retrieving the two questionable examination papers from that year, he returned to the Golden Palace.
Two years have passed, but the specially made ink is still as bright as ever, the neat and elegant characters are admirable, and the high degree of similarity between the two exam papers is even more astonishing.
Even disregarding the fact that they studied under the same teacher and practiced copying each other's handwriting, it's impossible for ordinary people's handwriting to be this similar.
Unless you practice deliberately or control it intentionally.
This directly proves that cheating in the imperial examinations did exist, and that one of the people in the two papers was an imitator, and that the imitation was deliberate and premeditated.
The emperor personally inspected the papers and found traces of alteration in the areas where the names were pasted on both papers. He understood the situation and summoned the scribe from the imperial examination two years prior.
Some people wondered why Fang Yuan, who had diligently practiced to the point of imitating Xu Mo's handwriting, didn't simply copy the entire exam paper instead of changing his name.
The answer is simple: the imperial examination itself was quite rigorous. Whether it was the original examination paper or the red-inked examination paper, it could not be separated from the three-foot-wide area of the examination hall, let alone be given to Fang Yuan to copy.
All the operations took place inside the examination hall. The scribes, who could identify candidates by their handwriting, would personally change the names on the exam papers, thus allowing them to cheat without anyone noticing.
There were only two or three transcribers qualified to distribute the original scrolls.
Three middle-aged men knelt in the Golden Palace. They were all ordinary people without the protection of powerful families. They had studied hard for ten years to reach their current status and were the easiest to be manipulated by powerful families.
Ultimately, it's because ordinary people are too weak to fight against powerful clans.
The emperor sighed softly, but shouted sharply, "Who copied the top scholar's exam paper? Step forward!"
The one in the middle, trembling and sweating, said, "It was your humble servant who personally transcribed it."
"Did you switch the two exam papers to disrupt the fairness and impartiality of the imperial examination?" the emperor asked again, his tone becoming increasingly stern.
The middle-aged man remained silent for a long time, his eyes seemingly glancing lightly at the Fang family. After receiving no response, he replied in despair, "It was this humble subject, this humble subject personally switched the exam papers."
The emperor was furious and slammed his hand on the table, demanding, "Then who asked you to make the substitution and disrupt the fairness of the imperial examination?"
In fact, it's obvious who it is. Xu Mo and the transcriber were complete strangers, with no history of enmity between them. So it must be the Fang family who used coercion and intimidation to suppress him.
But as long as the middle-aged man doesn't admit it and insists that he was bewitched, the Fang family will still be infamous, but they will always be able to save their lives.
Fang Huai-ren, out of the corner of his eye, subtly hinted that he wanted the middle-aged man to take the blame.
Xu Mo, observing this, suddenly bowed and stepped forward, "Your Majesty, I have a question: what exactly is the serious crime of cheating in the imperial examinations?"
How does it compare to offending the Fang family?
The emperor's eyes were clear, and his lips moved slightly as he uttered a few words, "Exterminate nine generations of relatives."
Cheating in the imperial examinations was tantamount to treason.
The nine clans include four paternal clans, three maternal clans, and two affinal clans. The number of casualties ranges from dozens to hundreds, with lives lost in serious cases.
The peaceful state of the Dayu Dynasty in recent years does not mean that these punishments have disappeared; they are simply too bloody and cruel to be used easily.
The middle-aged man finally realized he was doomed. He collapsed to the ground, nearly exhausted, and stammered, "It's...it's the Fang family, it's the Fang family..."
He only mentioned the Fang family, without specifying who was in the Fang family.
Fang Huai Ren stepped forward and knelt down, wailing, "I have no face to face the Emperor, I have no face to face the people of the world. I have raised such a shameless son. I am willing to sever all ties with him and become strangers from now on. I would rather not have this child!"
As he spoke, he banged his head on the ground three times.
Some of his comrades in the court mocked and sneered, while others couldn't bear to look away.
Regardless of the circumstances, the Fang family made contributions to the Dayu Dynasty, with half of their ancestors dying on the battlefield, truly paving their way to their status with blood.
With blood streaming down his forehead and tears streaming down his face, Fang Huai-ren said, "I have also failed my elder brother. I have failed as the head of this family. I am ashamed. I will prove my innocence with my death."
He got up and rushed towards the wall pillar, but was stopped by the Zhu family head and others.
The emperor, recalling the sacrifices of the Fang family, sighed helplessly, "Minister Fang, please wait. If it were truly the ignorance of the younger generation, how could it be implicated you? If General Fang were alive, he would surely not want to see the Fang family in such a state."
Fang Huai-ren cried out in exhaustion, collapsing to the ground as he breathed a sigh of relief.
The war achievements that Fang Heng's father risked his life for were ultimately exploited by them.
But this could only protect Fang's family from trouble; it could not protect the real culprits behind the cheating in the imperial examinations.
"Guards, strip Fang Tanhua of all his academic honors and titles. He will be stripped of his honors and executed in the autumn. The Fang family has failed in educating their son, so his descendants will be banned from taking the imperial examinations for ten years."
With the case of Long being brought to a close, this two-year-long imperial examination fraud case finally ended with Fang Yuan's arrest.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
