Shen Cong nodded in agreement, then asked, "So what should we do next?"
"Wait." The male protagonist's eyes flickered slightly.
"Wait?" Shen Cong was even more puzzled.
"The Emperor already knows about this matter, so he certainly won't let it go unpunished. No matter who did it, he has zero tolerance for it. We just need to wait for the Emperor to send people to investigate and occasionally reveal some evidence to them."
Qu Jingyun explained, "It's not convenient for our family to get involved. None of our family members hold official positions, and interfering in this matter would only make the Emperor resentful."
"Not only will we fail to find out the truth, but we will also get involved."
Then he looked at Yun Xiujin, his expression softening: "You should rest and recuperate at my home. You don't need to worry too much about these things. Don't worry, it won't be long before everything that belongs to you is returned to you."
Yun Xiujin immediately felt relieved.
He still trusted this family quite a bit.
After all, the male protagonist's fame is known throughout the world.
He then said apologetically, "Then I'll have to trouble you all."
To the family's utter surprise, the emperor issued an edict ordering the male protagonist to take charge of the matter of cheating in the imperial examinations.
When the imperial edict arrived at the Qu residence, the male protagonist frowned and accepted it with a blank expression.
His expression was full of disbelief.
The words of the imperial eunuch who delivered the decree were in his ears: "His Majesty trusts Master Shen. I hope you will not disappoint His Majesty."
"But I don't hold any official position, which seems to be against the rules." The male protagonist sighed, truly wondering what the emperor was thinking.
"His Majesty hopes you can atone for your crimes through meritorious service. If you can clear up this matter, he will reinstate you to your original position. There are many suspicious circumstances surrounding the embezzlement that day, and His Majesty naturally believes in you." The eunuch smiled knowingly as he spoke.
Upon hearing this, the male protagonist felt particularly bitter.
Finally, he nodded and said, "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty. I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and give justice to the students of the world."
After giving the male protagonist a deep look and memorizing his expression, the eunuch turned and returned to the palace to report back.
"What exactly does Your Majesty mean by this?" Qu Jingyun couldn't help but ask after the person left.
A cold smile crept across his lips: "Is this some kind of 'slap followed by a sweet treat'? What kind of nonsense is this?"
"Who knows?" The male protagonist didn't know what to say for a moment.
He simply said, "No matter what, this result is good for us."
Qu Jingyun nodded, but the sorrow in her eyes did not dissipate.
Hopefully, things will turn out for the better.
The next day, the male protagonist attended the morning court session, a long time after his absence, enduring the prying eyes of everyone.
Everyone present already knew that the Emperor had ordered the male protagonist to thoroughly investigate the cheating in the imperial examinations, and each of them had mixed feelings.
Some were happy for the male protagonist, while others felt it was none of their business and remained neutral.
Of course, there are also those who vehemently oppose this.
“The male lead is a corrupt official. How could such a person possibly investigate the cheating in the imperial examinations? He might even be bribed and find nothing. I urge Your Majesty to choose someone else.” Zhang Zhou was the first to stand up.
Then a group of people stepped forward and knelt down in front of him.
"We second that proposal."
Before the emperor could speak, the male protagonist had already spoken.
"It just so happens that I also have something to give to Your Majesty today."
The male protagonist presented the item to the emperor, whose expression was complicated. The emperor gave the male protagonist a deep look.
The male protagonist seemed oblivious, cupped his hands and said, "This is the evidence that I was falsely accused of embezzlement. I have been innocent from beginning to end. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth."
"Since you already had evidence, why?" the Emperor asked in a complicated tone, his eyes seemingly shrouded in a fog.
"Your Majesty, the evidence was recently collected by me. I believed I would never have committed embezzlement, but unexpectedly, such evidence appeared out of nowhere and convicted me. I was speechless and could only admit to the crime."
“But the Shen family has been loyal and virtuous for generations, and I absolutely cannot bear such a stigma. So I tried to collect evidence and finally found this evidence that can prove my innocence.”
After saying this, the male protagonist looked up at Zhang Zhou, who was trembling with fear beside him.
He then sneered and said, "I'd like to ask, if Lord Zhang had investigated the matter of framing me for embezzlement more thoroughly, he would have found that the evidence was full of loopholes. How did Lord Zhang manage to convict me with such conclusive evidence?"
"Is it because I have some conflict with the Zhang family that Lord Zhang convicted me without even thinking? That would be far too biased."
The male protagonist knelt on the ground: "I beg Your Majesty to clear my name."
The emperor remained silent for a long time.
He could naturally tell that the male protagonist was giving him a way out.
They blamed everything on Zhang Zhou's past grudge against the male lead and his failure to fulfill his duties.
But anyone with eyes to see knows that things are not that simple.
"Since Minister Shen is innocent of the embezzlement, he shall be reinstated to his original post on a chosen date. I have always believed in your innocence, and now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief."
The emperor looked at the male protagonist, his tone more probing.
He then said, "Since you are innocent, then you can keep the tiger tally again. That will put my mind at ease."
Upon hearing this, the male protagonist hurriedly said, "The Tiger Tally should have been kept by His Majesty. I was only temporarily holding it. Now that it has been returned to His Majesty, there is no need to hand it over to me again."
"Moreover, after years of living on the frontier, my body is already too weak to bear the strain. If I were to take charge of the military camp, and if any discontented generals were to step forward, I fear I would not be able to control them. I would like to ask Your Majesty to choose someone else."
Since the male lead had said that, the emperor's expression softened.
He nodded in satisfaction: "Very well, then my dear minister, take good care of your injuries. When you are able to fight on the battlefield again, this tiger tally will be returned to you."
The male protagonist did not respond, but said directly: "Your Majesty trusts me and has entrusted me with the matter of the cheating in the imperial examination. I am deeply grateful and will certainly not disappoint Your Majesty."
"You have never disappointed me. I am very reassured to entrust you with my affairs." The Emperor smiled in response.
As everyone watched the harmonious scene between the emperor and his ministers, they fell silent.
Is this a sign that the situation is about to change again?
Zhang Zhou watched this scene silently, feeling uneasy.
If the emperor stops targeting the male lead, what should he do?
During the morning court session, everything proceeded in an orderly manner.
After the court session, a crowd immediately surrounded the male protagonist, offering words of congratulations.
The male protagonist gave a perfunctory reply, his eyes growing increasingly cold.
When he was framed, these people wanted nothing more than to stay far away from him.
Now they're clinging to it again, do they really think he can pretend nothing happened?
Sensing the male lead's coldness, everyone laughed awkwardly and made an excuse to leave.
"Congratulations, General Shen!" Zhang Hu approached without anyone noticing.
"Same to you," the male protagonist replied, a hint of provocation in his eyes.
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