"Injustice? The evidence is irrefutable, how can you claim injustice? Do you think I'm a fool?"
The Emperor gave a cold laugh and immediately drew a conclusion to the matter.
“You officials have failed to properly educate your children and have suffered moral failings. You will each be demoted one rank and have your salary deducted for half a year, as a warning to others.”
Everyone's expression changed drastically, and they knelt on the ground, overwhelmed with deep regret.
But in Mr. He's eyes, there was only a look of relief.
Fortunately, he wasn't involved, otherwise he would have been one of the many people punished today.
He understood the situation regarding Shen Yunting clearly: although the Emperor was wary of Shen Yunting, he would never allow anyone to humiliate him at will.
They are even willing to defend the other party in many matters.
After all, Shen Yunting willingly relinquished his military power.
Thinking this through, Father He made a decision in his heart: when he got back, he had to have a proper discussion with his family and absolutely could not let them go around spouting nonsense in front of the Shen family again.
Otherwise, he would probably have held this position for the rest of his life.
He's father sensed that the Emperor's gaze had fallen on him, and he couldn't help but straighten up with a stern face.
It seems the Emperor is aware of his family's involvement; they will have to be extremely careful in the future.
After the court session, although the ministers said nothing, they all saw something else in each other's eyes.
Things are about to change.
It is said that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, and for a moment everyone was really confused about what the emperor was trying to do.
Inside the imperial study, the Emperor looked up at the Third Prince before him, and after a long while, he finally spoke: "What is your opinion on what happened yesterday?"
"Therefore, it is only natural that the young masters led by Lord He's son took the initiative to cause trouble for General Shen's family and were beaten."
The Third Prince spoke without any hesitation: "I have heard that neither General Shen nor the current County Princess were easy to deal with when they were young. Now that they have heard someone humiliate their children, they will definitely not be able to accept it."
"Taking action is a matter of course."
"You seem to have no scruples whatsoever," the Emperor scoffed.
It's impossible to guess what he's feeling at that moment.
“These are my true feelings. Moreover, Father Emperor, General Shen, and the County Princess have known each other since childhood. They should understand their character best and know why they would do such a thing,” the Third Prince said again.
Upon hearing this, the temperature in the imperial study seemed to drop rapidly.
The emperor sneered and questioned, "What do you mean by that? Do you think I'm wrong?"
"The Emperor is the Son of Heaven, so how could the Son of Heaven be wrong?" The Third Prince did not directly answer this question.
Looking at his humble yet dignified demeanor, the emperor seemed to see his own younger self, and couldn't help but feel a little dazed.
Since when did he become so unrecognizable?
Looking at the Third Prince, he didn't know whether to be happy or angry.
In the end, he could only sigh and change the subject: "I hope this matter will not cause General Shen and the other two to hold a grudge against me."
The Third Prince did not answer the question, but instead changed the subject, saying, "Your subject has a memorial to present."
The emperor looked puzzled and asked in return, "Why didn't you say so in court?"
"Please read this first, Father." The Third Prince handed the memorial to the chief eunuch beside him.
The emperor was puzzled, but after reading it, he immediately understood.
He glanced coldly at the Third Prince, his expression grave and complex.
Are you sure this is true?
The Third Prince nodded: "It's not entirely certain, but it's highly likely."
"The article mixed in was presented to me by Dr. Chen. It was written by Young Master Shen in front of him after the imperial examination, and he claimed that it was an article he wrote for the imperial examination."
"This article failed to make the list. Dr. Chen realized something was wrong. He was once my teacher, so he came to me to inquire who was responsible for grading the papers and why they thought such an article could not be included."
"After seeing it, I also felt that the article should not be written like this, so I went to find Lord Li, who was in charge of reviewing the papers. However, I learned that the article was written by the top-ranked candidate, which made me suspicious. Moreover, I have already learned from Lord Li that the handwriting of the two articles is exactly the same."
"But I was worried that if this matter were mentioned in court, the person behind it would take precautions, so I told my father in private, hoping that he could have the matter investigated and clear the name of the innocent."
The Emperor's face grew increasingly gloomy at the Third Prince's words, and he sneered, "They really have a lot of nerve, daring to tamper with the imperial examinations. Do they think I'm blind and deaf?"
He then looked at the Third Prince again and asked, "Do you think the person behind this is targeting the Shen family? Or do they have other motives?"
"Your subject does not believe that this is targeting the Shen family. He didn't even know that the essay was written by Young Master Shen when the exam papers were switched. Your subject also believes that Young Master Shen may not be the only victim. It's just that he was the only one who made Dr. Chen realize that something was wrong."
"Then who do you think would be more appropriate to investigate this matter?" the Emperor pressed again.
He gave the Third Prince a deep look and asked, "How about I have you investigate this matter?"
This matter truly demonstrates how much the Emperor values the Third Prince.
Unexpectedly, the Third Prince shook his head: "Your subject thinks it is most appropriate to let General Shen investigate this matter."
"Why?" The emperor did not directly deny it.
But then the Third Prince spoke up to explain, "We don't know who did it yet. If we just pick someone randomly, they might be in cahoots with the person behind it all."
“If we find the people who are protecting each other, we won’t find anything no matter how we investigate. But the victim is Young Master Shen, and General Shen is definitely innocent.”
"Moreover, Young Master Shen is quite well-known among the students in the capital. Talented students from all over the country have competed with him in the capital. He knows the students in the capital and may be able to provide some help."
"As the victim, I think Young Master Shen should be most eager to know who caused him to fail the exam."
The emperor remained silent for a long time, and the imperial study was eerily quiet.
The third prince lowered his head, waiting for the other party's answer.
But then the Emperor suddenly spoke up and asked, "He is no longer a general, so why do you still call him a general?"
The Third Prince remained calm and explained directly, "To me, General Shen will always be the general in my heart, and a role model for me to learn from."
"I thought your role model was me," the Emperor said cryptically, his eyes revealing a hint of coldness.
It's ridiculous that his son looks up to Shen Yunting.
To his surprise, the Third Prince let out a bitter laugh the next moment.
"Father, have you forgotten? This is what you told me when I was a child. You hoped that I would take General Shen as my role model and become a renowned general in the future to protect the country's territory."
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