Chapter 931 Cheating
After the great victory in the north, Lu Zhinian and others were missing. The Khan of Beiling and the once most powerful Princess Wuya also disappeared without a trace. They were not seen in the entire northern grassland, Luoyan Pass and other places.
An arrest warrant was issued in the capital, and the identity portraits of Lu Zhinian and Song Jinxiu were sent to various places. Checkpoints were set up in prefectures and towns along the way from north to south. However, until Feng Qiuli and others who were sent on a diplomatic mission to Southern Qi returned to the capital, and Di Tao and others who returned from Western Xinjiang also led their troops back, there was still no trace of the group of people who escaped from Beiling.
Tang Ning had no choice but to order people to continue searching, and the last major exam in Beijing came as scheduled.
"Sister, today we have Lord Cao and Prime Minister Liang personally presiding over the event. The Black Armor Guards and the Jingzhao Prefecture are also on duty. Lord Wu and his men have sealed off the entire area to prevent any cheating. Why did you even bother leaving the palace?"
Xue Ru helped Tang Ning to the restaurant opposite the examination hall that they had specially chosen.
The restaurant had been closed off long ago, and the entire street downstairs was temporarily off-limits to pedestrians, except for the heavily guarded area outside the examination hall opposite.
Tang Ning gently stroked her belly and said, "After all, this is the first major exam. I heard from Cao Gong and others that there were a lot of troubles during the exams in various places. People who abuse their power for personal gain and commit fraud used all kinds of methods. I am somewhat curious, so it's okay to come out and take a look."
This time when she left the palace, she brought all the guards with her. Yu Yanfeng followed her for protection, and Yue Jian and the others stayed with her all the time. She didn't tell anyone and didn't intend to alarm Cao Dejiang and the others.
Hua Wu, who was standing nearby, came forward with some sweet soup and said in surprise, "Your Majesty, this is the capital, right here under the Emperor's feet, and heavily guarded. With so many eyes watching, no one would be so bold as to cheat here, right?"
Tang Ning said calmly: "That may not be the case."
Although there are strict checks and guards at every level, people are greedy and some people will do anything for profit.
Nowadays, there are many vacancies in the court, and talents are needed everywhere. All those who take part in the exam know that as long as the candidates are on the list, they will definitely be able to enter the official career and get an official position. If they can catch the attention of the palace, they will be able to rise to the top.
Moreover, because this is the first trial imperial examination, the scale is the smallest and the number of participants is the least. It is undoubtedly the best opportunity to stand out. By the time of the next major examination, the preparations will be more thorough, the rules will be more complete, and students from the entire Wei territory will be able to participate. It will be countless times more difficult to stand out.
"With interests at stake, there are many people who take risks. Maybe there are some people who are not clear-headed and think they can hide it from so many eyes?" Xue Ru said casually.
…
The weather in August was getting cooler day by day. The osmanthus flowers under the restaurant were in full bloom, and the fragrance drifted far along the street.
The people patrolling outside the examination hall were replaced by two groups. No human voices could be heard around, only the low chirping of birds flying across the sky from time to time.
Tang Ning and Xue Ru were playing chess in the house. Hua Wu was lying on the wooden railing along the street, looking at the opposite side, feeling somewhat bored. After a while, he suddenly stood up, leaned out, and threw something in his hand.
"What is Hua Wu doing?" Xue Ru asked curiously.
Tang Ning laughed: "I don't know, this girl has always been a troubled person. I guess she is just feeling bored after not leaving the palace for so long."
Hua Wu seemed to have heard the voice from inside and turned her head towards this side and said, "Madam, I am looking at birds. There are two birds over there that are really beautiful. Their bodies are snow-white without a single strand of hair, and their beaks are bright red."
Yue Jian casually said, "Why didn't I see it?"
"They're right over there, flying back and forth several times. It's a pity they ignored me." Hua Wu patted the snack crumbs in her hand unhappily. "But their calls are quite beautiful. I don't know what kind of birds they are. I've never seen them before."
Tang Ning became curious after hearing this. Most of the treasures in the world were in the palace. Although she and Xiao Yan did not like these, the deposed emperor loved luxury and enjoyment when he was in power. The Flower and Bird Bureau and the Royal Beast Garden raised countless flowers, birds, rare animals.
As her senior palace maid, Hua Wu had visited her several times earlier, and it was rare for her to see such a thing.
"I want to see what kind of bird it is."
Tang Ning put down the chess piece and stood up, and Xue Ru followed him.
When they reached the railing, Hua Wu pointed ahead and said, "Look, Madam, it's right there."
Tang Ning looked over and saw a small white shadow flying in the air above the examination room. From a distance, it looked like a ball of cotton, and only occasionally when it turned sideways, its beak was scarlet. The bird flew around and landed on the eaves, chirping softly. The sound was crisp and pleasant, and it was indeed very nice to hear.
Yue Jian said, "This bird seems to be a bead bird."
"Do you know him?" Hua Wu was curious.
Yue Jian said, "I saw this bird before when I was in the Privy Council and accompanied His Majesty south to investigate a case. This bird loves quietness and is very delicate. Because it is snow-white, petite and cute, and has a very human-like nature, many wealthy families in the south like to keep it as a pet. Some even think it is holy and spiritual, and call it the White-rumped Spirit Bird."
While Yue Jian was talking, she saw another white ball flying over from a distance. It flew over the examination room opposite and started to bark happily like the previous one.
Seeing this, Hua Wu muttered, "These two birds are really strange, flying back and forth over there. Although their calls are quite pleasant, they are quite annoying after hearing them too much..."
Tang Ning's expression paused.
Xue Ru next to her also turned her head.
"What did you say?" Tang Ning asked.
Hua Wu exclaimed, "Ah!" "What?"
Xue Ru frowned: "You just said that these two birds were flying back and forth in opposite directions?"
Hua Wu nodded: "Yes, they have been here since we arrived just now. They left twice during the journey. I thought they flew away, but they came back not long after. They flew past this side twice just now. It's a pity that I couldn't lure them over even with the snacks I brought..."
Tang Ning frowned and looked at the two white balls over there. The crisp cry had a different taste in his ears.
Yue Jian was the first to realize something was wrong, and a serious look appeared on her face: "My Lady."
"Check it out immediately."
"yes."
Yue Jian turned around and walked out quickly.
Hua Wu was still a little confused: "My Lady, what's wrong?"
Tang Ning pursed her lips and said nothing. Xue Ru said beside her, "Birds are afraid of people. Most birds that are naturally raised don't like places where people gather. Even if someone passes by, they will quickly fly away. But these two birds are flying back and forth here, chirping. And Yue Jian just said that these birds like quietness and are delicate. They are mostly raised by wealthy families."
Isn't it strange that this bird has nowhere else to go but flies back and forth and sings over the examination room?
Hua Wu was stunned, then her eyes widened in the next moment: "Madam Ru, are you saying that someone is using them to cheat?"
Xue Ru nodded: "Nine out of ten."
Tang Ning's eyes were cold. What she said about cheating before was more of a joke. She hadn't been out of the palace for a long time and came out for a walk. But she didn't expect that someone would dare to take such a risk.
She wanted to see who was so bold as to risk his life!
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