Huo Chengche looked at Liang Sheng, who seemed to understand the situation well, and smiled with satisfaction. He pulled Liang Sheng close to his ear and whispered, "The autumn imperial examinations are approaching. I have received news that someone is secretly engaging in cheating on the examinations. In order not to delay the examinations..."
He paused deliberately, looked at the dumbfounded Liang Sheng, patted him on the shoulder to show that he was entrusting him with a heavy responsibility, "In order not to delay the imperial examination, I will trouble Lord Liang to find out about this matter as soon as possible in the next ten days or so."
"Cheating in the imperial examinations?!" Liang Sheng felt like those words were burning his tongue.
“Yes,” the young man said with a faint, wicked smile, “On the first day of the imperial examination, I will present Lord Liang’s confession to my father.”
"Your Highness?!" Liang Sheng immediately panicked upon hearing this. "You...you said you would give me a chance! You are the Crown Prince, you can't go back on your word!"
"Am I not giving Lord Liang the opportunity?" Huo Chengche shrugged. "When the time comes, Lord Liang will present himself to the Emperor with the great merit you have rendered. Your petty matters of 'bending the law for personal gain, accepting bribes, and currying favor' will hardly be worth mentioning. At the very least, your merits and demerits will cancel each other out, won't they?"
"No, no, it's not Your Highness," Liang Sheng never dreamed that one day, this extremely intelligent man would not only fail to fool a young boy, but would also be completely outmaneuvered by this half-grown boy.
"No, Your Highness, this...this...the dance...dance..." He didn't dare to say it, stammering and rambling, and this time he was really about to cry. "This...this is such a big deal, this...this is a huge deal! I...I'm just a small magistrate of the capital, a nobody..."
Huo Chengche looked at Liang Sheng and smiled coldly, "Yes, that's why I said this is an 'opportunity' for Lord Liang."
"Since it's an 'opportunity,' it's certainly not just about the small things that Lord Liang is supposed to do. After all, Lord Liang has made a 'mistake,' and if he wants to offset his mistakes with merits, he needs to produce some decent achievements, right?"
"Princess Coco..."
"Does Lord Liang think that doing your duty with my help is your 'merit'?" Huo Chengche coldly interrupted him.
Liang Sheng was speechless, his face ashen, and he looked utterly hopeless.
“Oh, right,” Huo Chengche said again quietly.
Upon hearing this, Liang Sheng was immediately startled and looked at Huo Chengche, fearing that he might say something that would kill him.
The boy said casually, "I've heard that human traffickers are rampant in the capital these days. Lord Liang, why don't you take care of them as well? It's your duty."
"No, it's not that..." Upon hearing this, Liang Sheng's head buzzed again, and his face showed bitterness. "Your Highness, in just over ten days, you've practically cleaved me in eight pieces..."
Huo Chengche interrupted him leisurely, "Father Emperor values the people's livelihood most. If he knew that you, Lord Liang, are putting the cart before the horse, neglecting the lives of so many children and ordinary people in the capital, and only aiming for high-paying positions—"
Hearing this casually made threat, Liang Sheng felt his heart bleed, but he could only grit his teeth and admit it through tears, "This...this official will definitely do his best to fulfill my duties!"
"Lord Liang is indeed a pillar of the state!" The young man smiled with satisfaction, patted the "well-deserved" Lord Liang on the shoulder, and said generously:
"Lord Liang, you may come to the Eastern Palace to see me at any time during this period. If you have any troubles, difficulties, or need my help, you may come to me."
Liang Sheng gave a stiff smile, saying "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Highness," but his face showed no trace of gratitude.
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