Hu Xu was so annoyed that he simply sent his parents to a farm outside the city to live in peace and quiet. He then hung a sign saying that he was going out for something and went out early and came back late every day to avoid visitors.
He either went to Yuan's mansion, or to the Imperial Examination Hall, or to Xinxing Temple to audit classes.
But Qingjing hid, and also hid Song Qiao.
The flowers given by Song Qiao were killed by him. He should have given her an explanation, but he hasn't had the opportunity recently.
Either she went out early, or he came back late, or when they met, there was someone else waiting in the alley.
Seeing that the Ministry of Rites assessment was approaching, he had to put the matter aside for the time being and concentrate on preparations.
But who would have thought that on the day of the assessment, shocking news would break out, causing an uproar inside and outside the court.
Zhao Xiu, the newly crowned third place scholar, handed in a blank paper during the examination.
After interrogation, he falsely accused Du Hui, the director of the Imperial College and the examiner of this imperial examination, of cheating by omitting questions.
How is this possible! Hu Xu, in his fear, smelled a conspiracy.
After Zhao Xiu appealed, Du Hui was imprisoned, the Du family was banned, Yuan Zuzhi was confined to his house, Lou Yunchun was forbidden to interfere in the case, and all officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial College, as well as the candidates who passed the exam, including him, were confined to the Imperial Academy for interrogation.
The situation is one-sided.
Aristocratic officials, led by the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Censorate, submitted petitions requesting the Ministry of Rites to transfer the power of the Imperial Examination, which led to a confrontation between the aristocracy and the poor, and the situation became increasingly escalating.
Because he was a disciple of Yuan Zu, he was interrogated with intensive care.
The interrogating officials came and went. Some used threats and inducements overtly or covertly to make him say something unfavorable to the teacher, while others asked him to stick to his original intention and not be shaken by them.
He thought of all the advice and teachings from his teacher and several other professors, and hated all these conspiracies and tricks. He gritted his teeth and insisted on submitting a report that neither he nor the examiners had cheated.
After several interrogations, he was exhausted, but he did not dare to relax until he received the news that he would be re-examined in the palace.
Because of this, he felt a hint of the Holy Heart and became more resolute in his stance.
When he was retested in front of the palace, he was not afraid, but instead he gathered up his courage.
True gold is not afraid of fire. Hu Xu is a piece of gold, not rubble, so he is naturally not afraid of fire.
This re-examination not only concerns his future, but also the fate of his teachers and gentlemen. He has no way out, he can only move forward and can only win.
Outside the Golden Palace, he saw Lou Yunchun and Lou Jing, and became more calm and confident.
He is not fighting alone.
On the Golden Palace, in front of the saint, Hu Xu was focused and calm.
Coincidentally, the question in this test was exactly what he had been wondering about before.
He summed up the essence of Yuan Zu's teachings, the resonance of Lou Yunchun's suggestions, the hopes expressed by Song Qiao, and the busy livelihoods of all living beings, and composed a memorial, sealed it and submitted it to the emperor.
Finally, he was commended by the saint and was once again chosen as the top scholar in front of the palace.
He won.
At this moment, he lived up to his fifteen years of hard work, his teacher's teachings, his parents' expectations, and his friends' advice.
After the re-examination, except for Zhao Xiu, the rankings of the other scholars on the list remained almost the same.
They are all people of real talent and learning.
Therefore, it can be proved that the examiners did not cheat.
The situation reversed, and except for Du Hui and Zhao Xiu, all the officials of the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial College, as well as the rest of the scholars were cleared of suspicion.
However, the people from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue did not give up. They put pressure on the emperor in front of the palace, intending to sentence Du Hui to death. They also used the Ministry of Rites' negligence as an excuse to instigate the ministers to transfer the power of examination from the Ministry of Rites to the Ministry of Personnel.
Fortunately, Hu Xu, Lou Yunchun and other officials from the Ministry of Rites argued with reason and prevented him from succeeding.
Du Hui's verdict will be announced two days later after being judged by the Sage and the Three Judges.
Yuan Zuzhi was released from confinement and reinstated, but was only fined half a year's salary.
This crisis was finally overcome without any danger.
After the court was dismissed, the emperor summoned him alone. Hu Xu became uneasy and followed the Minister of the Chancellery to the inner court.
After the meeting, the saint first asked him a question: What is justice?
This is obviously an additional test question.
Hu Xu's heart was still turbulent, but he did not dare to be too presumptuous. After thinking for a moment, he started his discussion with the relationship between the universe and the ruler and the people.
"Your Majesty, I believe that fairness means being selfless, and equality means being impartial. These two are the foundation of a state.
The fairness of the main road lies in taking care of all things with the sun, moon, stars, the four seasons, life and death.
The fairness of Kun's way lies in adapting to local conditions, just as fish and shellfish are born in rivers and seas, grass and trees grow on mountains and land, and all kinds of creatures give rise to all kinds of customs.
The fairness of a country lies in its laws and regulations. If the laws and regulations are fair, all paths will flow smoothly; if the laws and regulations are biased, injustices and mistakes will arise.
The fairness of a ruler lies in upholding justice. Upholding justice leads to purity, and purity leads to wisdom, and wisdom leads to saving the world.
The fairness of the people lies in the fact that scholars have the right to express their aspirations, farmers have land to cultivate, workers have wages for their skills, and merchants have markets to rely on.
Qiankun is the way of heaven. The way of heaven is not benevolent. It treats all things as straw dogs. This is fairness.
The way for a ruler to serve the people is to have impartial laws and regulations, and for the ruler to preside over justice, which is fairness.
The way of life for the people is that birth, old age, sickness and death depend on heaven and earth, and food, clothing, housing and transportation depend on the king and the country. Only when heaven and earth and the king are fair can there be fairness.
Only when justice is achieved can the world be at peace."
After Hu Xu finished answering, silence fell in the hall. He felt colder and did not dare to glance at the saint's expression.
The sage picked at his fingernails and thought to himself: This is a roundabout way of warning him, the monarch, to be just and fair, so that there can be peace in the world.
He is worthy of being the top scholar. He is talented, insightful and courageous. He deserves the title.
It's just that his foundation is a little weak, and today he is trying to stand out in the court. If he is not suppressed, he will be defeated halfway, which would be a pity, wouldn't it?
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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