The Imperial Censor had a bad feeling.
The saint raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"
"First, Zhao Xiu wasn't Du Siye's student, but rather Mu Congye's student. Mu and Du Siye had no personal relationship, nor did they accept bribes from Zhao Xiu. Du Siye had no reason to leak the exam questions to him. Second, Du Siye had his own student, Zeng Zhui, the top scorer in the Sichuan exam. Zeng Zhui was already a high-ranking scholar, but he chose to study under Du Siye in anticipation of winning the next year. If Du Siye truly wanted to leak the exam questions, why would he have chosen someone far away, and why would he have allowed Zeng Zhui to study for another year? This doesn't make sense. Third, if he leaked the exam questions out of pity for someone with talent, then Zeng Zhui and I are both more talented than Zhao Xiu, so why would he have lost sight of the fundamentals? Therefore, I believe what the Attendant Censor said is unreasonable and unfair."
Hu Xu's argument was fluent and convincing, and the ministers, led by the Minister of Rites, immediately stood up to express their support.
The Minister of Rites said, "What the number one scholar said makes sense. I second your opinion."
Lou Jing then stood up and said, "I second the motion."
"I second the motion."
Luo Shangshu said, "Yuan Zuzhi and Du Hui have close ties. As the champion is Yuan Zuzhi's disciple, he will naturally speak in favor of Du Hui."
Hu Xu said, "I was a student and teacher with Master Yuan, and I also had some dealings with Du Siye, but we were both honest friends. If you really want to accuse me of favoritism, then Zhao Xiu wouldn't be involved, and there wouldn't be this lawsuit today. Now that I've passed the exam based on my own abilities, I can prove that Mr. Du had no reason to leak the test."
Minister Wang's eyes were filled with threats and oppression. "Then tell me, why did Zhao Xiu identify Du Hui and not someone else?"
Hu Xu looked him in the eye calmly, "Perhaps it's because of this mess."
Minister Wang's eyes suddenly became sharp, as if he wanted to pierce Hu Xu. "Absurd!"
The sage watched with great interest and thought to himself: This new number one scholar is quite interesting.
Minister Wang glanced at the Imperial Censor, who understood and reported to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, although neither side in this case has actual evidence, Zhao Xiu has circumstantial evidence proving his close relationship with Du Hui. Since he insists he passed the imperial examination because of Lord Du's leaking of the exam, Lord Du must be implicated. This case is currently causing a stir among the scholars, and as the saying goes, public outrage is difficult to avert. Rather than wrangling, I believe it would be best to resolve this matter quickly and put it to rest."
After he said this, the officials standing with the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue all agreed.
Lou Yunchun said loudly: "This is a crime without evidence. Your Majesty, please think twice before making a decision."
Lou Jing also said: "Your Majesty, please think twice before making a decision."
Then the officials standing with the Ministry of Rites also echoed in unison.
The two sides were shouting back and forth, making the Saint's ears buzz. He winked at the eunuch, who hurried forward and shouted loudly: "Silence—"
The ministers fell silent, and the sage looked at the 'three masters' and the Shangshu Ling who had remained silent, and they all nodded.
The sage looked at his ministers and said, "I will consult with the three masters and the Minister of Chancellery before making a decision. As for the ministers of the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial College, please follow my instructions and return to your respective positions and perform your duties."
Minister Wang said unwillingly, "Your Majesty, if you are so lenient with the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial College, I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public."
"That's right." The sage nodded in agreement, then thought for a moment and said, "How about fining Yuan Zuzhi six months' salary, the Minister of Rites three months' salary, and the rest of the officials one month's salary?"
Minister Luo said, "Under the supervision of the Ministry of Rites, cheating occurred in the exam, and the cheater was awarded the third place. This has greatly damaged the credibility of the imperial examination and caused scholars to question its fairness and impartiality. Furthermore, many remarks have been made that are unfavorable to the imperial family and the court. If Your Majesty continues to show partiality and indulgence, it will hurt the people's hearts. Therefore, I sincerely ask Your Majesty to punish severely."
Minister Wang echoed, "Your Majesty, please return fairness and justice to the scholars of the world."
The Imperial Envoy also stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Minister Luo's words hit the nail on the head. However, the officials of the Ministry of Rites were negligent in their oversight. Those responsible should be punished. Failure to do so will be unsatisfactory. If the punishment is too light, some will inevitably accuse Your Majesty of partiality. Please be prudent in your decision."
The Censorate was originally a bunch of chatterboxes, led by the Imperial Envoy, and the ministers under it all tried to persuade them one by one.
The saint's smile faded from his face, and his expression gradually grew gloomy.
The Grand Tutor shouted, "Silence! You are forcing the Emperor in the court. Do you still respect the hierarchy?"
Minister Luo said, "Grand Master, your words are profound. We are only concerned for the prosperity of our country and for Your Majesty, and have no intention of pressuring you. The key to governing a country lies in fairness and uprightness. Fairness and equality are the foundation of a nation. As the saying goes, what the superiors do is what the inferiors follow. If the superiors are unfair, the inferiors will inevitably follow suit. Your Majesty, please consider this carefully."
"Minister Luo is truly strict with others, yet lenient with himself." Lou Yunchun sneered, turning the conversation to Minister Luo. "When Your Majesty concluded the case of Minister Zhou, could Minister Luo have taken the blame for his negligence to demonstrate fairness? Now, you're using this to threaten Your Majesty. Isn't that ridiculous?"
Minister Luo never thought that the fire would burn himself, and he was suddenly speechless.
Lou Yunchun's gaze was like a sharp blade, slashing at Minister Wang again. "Minister Wang, there are many officials under your command who have committed crimes. Have you ever taken the responsibility to correct your negligence?"
Minister Wang was speechless.
He then turned to the Imperial Envoy, "Your Excellency, one of your Imperial Censors once misjudged a case, causing two officials to die by hurling themselves against a pillar in an effort to prove their innocence. Do you remember what you did then? You immediately distanced yourself from the matter and passed the case to the Dali Temple. It's truly ironic that you should say that you were responsible for the negligence."
The Imperial Censor looked away in shame and anger.
Lou Yunchun glanced around, and no one dared to look him in the eye. "My Lords, the Dali Temple may not have much else, but it does have a plethora of case files. Do you want me to examine all of them?"
There was a complete silence.
The saint felt relieved. When it came to hitting the nail on the head, it had to be Lou Yanluo. It turned out to be right when he discussed with the third master to place him in the Dali Temple!
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