"Their explanation of the specific cheating methods was relatively vague. Cui Zhehan gave the two adults a list of students from Tianhong Academy and the top scorers in each county."
First in the case?
Xiao Lingyu frowned, "Xingyi, wasn't Wu Huaiyuan the top scholar back then?"
"That's right! When Huaiyuan passed the provincial examination, the entire Guihua Village knew about it. The village chief even treated everyone to a feast. They all said he could have taken first place in the provincial examination and become a top scholar. So, was Huaiyuan's failure related to the Cui family?"
At this time, Su Xingyi couldn't believe that it was the Cui family's cheating in the imperial examination that caused Wu Huaiyuan to fail the exam many times.
Xiao Lingyu nodded: "Your guess may be right, but you need clear evidence."
"Then what should we do? How can we bring the Cui family to justice?" Su Xingyi was filled with indignation. "If no one takes care of this, our Wen Ge'er may also encounter the same thing in the future."
"Okay, don't be so anxious." Xiao Lingyu turned to Zhu Xu and said, "Do you know where these two adults are staying?"
"I followed them to where they were staying and then hurried back to report."
"I'll get the list tonight and make a copy of it."
"Yes, ma'am."
Xiao Lingyu said, "We've learned all this, but we can't touch the Cui family for now. We have to make a big fuss about this, leaving the Cui family helpless and unable to make excuses."
"Xiao Yu, what should we do?"
"I'll think of a countermeasure after I see the list. Zhu Xu, you should secretly investigate Zhang Sheng and Du Huaian. I bet these two have done a lot of work for the Cui family. They will definitely be able to find useful evidence."
"Madam." Zhu Xu looked embarrassed. "This is all I can find out in Huayang County right now."
"Then after tonight, you will return to the capital and conduct a secret investigation. You must find useful evidence before the provincial examination ends. Also, find out which officials have supervised the imperial examination over the past twenty years. Then, systematically investigate who has close ties with the Cui family. Once this becomes a big deal, none of them will be able to escape."
Zhu Xu was delighted. If the Cui family could be brought down this time, the second prince would definitely be implicated, and he might even be involved.
"Yes, madam. I will definitely live up to your expectations."
"Can you do this by yourself? Do you need help?"
Zhu Xu shook his head. "No need. It's easier to investigate if we have a target."
Xiao Lingyu handed him a five-hundred-liang silver note as funds for the event, "We still need to take care of what needs to be done."
Xiao Lingyu speculated that Feng Jinyu would not be idle after going to Cangnan County, and he must have people in the capital.
"By the way, the four of them ordered divine dishes today. Cui Zheli hopes to hand over the rare ingredients to the court to help the Second Prince. He will come to Lu Mansion to inquire about it soon."
Xiao Lingyu secretly said that it was not good, because the Lu family knew that the rare ingredients came from her.
The Cui family asked Lu Zeyi and found out that she was a supplier of rare ingredients.
Isn't she making wedding dresses for the Second Prince?
"When will Cui Zhehan return to Beijing?"
"Seven days later."
The only solution now was to delay it. "Okay, I understand. Go ahead and find out."
Xiao Lingyu was about to head towards Lu Yuan's yard.
"Xiao Yu, it's quite far over there. I'm going to talk to Si Chuyu about this. You better take a good rest."
Su Xingyi pulled Xiao Lingyu back to her and Xiao Xier's room, and after seeing her lie down, he went to Si Chuyu's study.
"What? Are you saying that the Cui family is still planning to get rare ingredients?"
Si Chuyu nodded: "Just now Xingyi came over and said that if the Cui family comes to inquire, let them tell Madam Su in person, and Madam Su will have her own explanation."
Lu Yuan frowned. "I never thought the Cui family was so discerning. They're donating rare ingredients to the imperial court. How can the Su family still get the pricing and distribution rights for those ingredients? Given the Cui family's greed, ordinary people can't afford them. The villagers who grow those ingredients won't earn any extra income, and their taxes will increase."
"Ayuan, Madam Su will find a way to deal with the Cui family."
Lu Yuan said helplessly, "If Second Uncle didn't know that the rare ingredients came from Madam Su, our Lu family would have an excuse to stop the Cui family from having such a wish."
Si Chuyu said: "Then we will avoid Second Uncle and Fourth Uncle when doing things from now on. The key is that we didn't know Brother Jie at the beginning, so we were not on guard against the Second and Fourth Houses."
"When you live under the same roof, there will always be times when you can't avoid separation, unless you split up." Lu Yuan thought of the iron mine mining all night long. She was worried that the news Lu Ming would find out would be detrimental to the Lu family, and his second uncle might harm the entire Lu family.
"This family must be divided up quickly!" Lu Yuan said excitedly. "We can't wait until grandfather is a hundred years old. We can't let the actions of the second and fourth branches bring harm to the entire Lu family."
Si Chuyu asked in confusion: "What's wrong? What happened?"
Lu Yuan told Si Chuyu that Xiao Lingyu had inadvertently mentioned that the court had a quota for iron ore every year.
Si Chuyu was shocked: "Do you suspect that my second uncle is secretly doing something fishy?"
"That's right. You'll know when Lu Ming comes back from investigating."
Si Chuyu's gentle brows wrinkled. This was a big deal. "A Yuan, don't worry. I'll send someone over to investigate secretly."
"Wei Xiao has already passed by."
Si Chuyu frowned in thought. "If this is true, and they've been mining all night for six years, Second Uncle must have made thorough preparations. It wouldn't be easy to find out. I'll arrange for the Si family's secret guards to investigate secretly with Wei Xiao. It will be much more effective."
"Okay, I'll do as you say."
Si Chuyu said: "After all, this is a capital crime, and it cannot be avoided by simply dividing the family."
"What should we do then?"
Lu Yuan is really feeling powerless now. She originally thought that she could settle down and accompany her younger siblings and have another child, but she didn't expect this kind of thing to happen.
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