Being in jail is something that only happens once. After Zhao Xiu was "invited" here, he soon got used to his situation and even had the leisure to add some water to fan Mu Cong.
None of the three spoke first, but Lou Yunchun's eyes never left Zhao Xiu.
After enjoying a round of service from the disciples, Mu Cong finally spoke up to break the silence.
"Now that the person is captured, does Lord Lou have anything else he wants to interrogate or ask?"
Lou Yunchun said calmly, "The trials that should have taken place have already been conducted. Gaozu's confession is of no importance to the fraud case. Arresting him is simply to close the case. As for what I want to ask, Gaozu may not answer honestly, so why bother asking and causing trouble?"
Then what was he standing there for? Mu Cong also glared.
He keeps calling me "senior disciple" and it's hard to tell whether he's showing respect or sarcasm.
"If Lou Shaoqing didn't ask, how could you know I wouldn't answer honestly?"
The four looked at each other, each trying to figure out the situation.
"Okay." Lou Yunchun nodded and asked, "Why didn't you take the imperial examination three years ago?"
Zhao Xiu's face suddenly darkened, but a wave of anger rolled up in his eyes, "Since Lou Shaoqing is investigating this case, how could he not know?"
"Just to see if you can answer honestly."
Hearing this, Zhao Xiu almost choked to death.
Lou Yunchun waited calmly for his answer.
After a long pause, Zhao Xiu calmed down and said, "Three years ago, I came to the capital to take the imperial examination. Like all candidates, I submitted my essays, visited various places, made friends, and earned some recognition. At the time, many people said I had a good chance of passing the imperial examination, and I thought so too. Later, I was favored by my teacher and became his disciple. I felt that I had been on a meteoric rise since then."
Looking back on the past, young people were full of vigor and ambition, aiming for the sky. Unfortunately, the blue sky suddenly fell, leaving them with broken heads and blood.
"After becoming my disciple, I got to know Zhou Huai."
Zhao Xiu looked at Mu Congye, his expression became complicated, with helplessness and resentment.
"Through his introduction, I met Shangshu Wang and Shangshu Luo. They had a great opinion of me and had high hopes for me. They believed I could pass the exam and were willing to give me money and a house to help me with the exam."
Zhao Xiu couldn't help but hate himself when he thought of how stupid he was when he was blinded by vanity.
"At first, I was flattered and complacent, thinking I was a rare talent. I treated them as close friends and befriended them sincerely. It wasn't until my true identity was revealed and my teacher was caught in the Jiang Gu incident that I finally saw through their facade and saw the sinister intentions beneath their generosity."
Lou Yunchun asked, "Who did they ask you to falsely accuse at that time?"
Three years ago, Du Hui had not yet been appointed as the director of the Imperial College, so it was not worth their effort.
Zhao Xiu stared at him with a sarcastic look on his face, "Your father, Lou Jing."
Lou Yunchun looked at Mu Congye. This was something he had never explained.
Mu Cong also shook his beard and smiled helplessly. What is there to say? Whether it was Lou Jing or Du Hui, they did it after all.
Three years ago, Lou Yunchun had not yet gained power. As a doctor in the Ministry of Rites, Lou Jing directly assisted in the imperial examinations. If he was found guilty of cheating, it would be tantamount to dragging the entire Ministry of Rites into trouble.
However, three years later, Lou Yunchun had honed his skills in the Dali Temple and gained the emperor's trust. If he were to look for Lou Jing again, not only would he fail, but he would also alert the emperor.
Unfortunately, the election of Du Hui still failed, and even dragged the gentry into the water.
"Lou Shaoqing, if I had agreed back then, what would the situation be like for the court and your Lou family now? Would you still be as high and mighty as you are now?"
Lou Yunchun did not comment.
The jealousy and resentment in Zhao Xiu's eyes turned to self-mockery. He snorted, "It's a pity that I was too stupid at the time. I couldn't see my own strengths and weaknesses. For the sake of so-called justice, I refused to participate in their schemes, so I was coerced and suppressed by them."
His expression became colder and colder, but his eyes became brighter and brighter with anger.
"They train the imperial examination like a dog, using it as a bone tied to a rope, keeping me close at hand but forever out of reach. I once thought about returning to Tongcheng to start over, but this capital city is not a place where I, Zhao Xiu, can come and go as I please."
Mu Cong also heard this, his face full of regret, "It's me who has implicated you."
Zhao Xiu didn't say anything. It would be a lie to say that he had no resentment, but he knew that he could not blame Mu Cong.
Both of them are controlled by the powerful and are tools and objects used to protect their interests. They are helpless in their own way.
Lou Yunchun also said to Mu Cong: "Even without you, Zhao Xiu can't escape."
Minister Wang and his men hadn't chosen this person on a whim. Zhao Xiu had the talent to make the list, and since he was a foreigner with no power or influence, he was the easiest to manipulate. It just so happened that he was also a disciple of Mu Cong, which allowed them to kill two birds with one stone.
Lou Yunchun looked through the files of recent years. Apart from Zhao Xiu, the only other person who met their requirements was Hu Xu.
However, although Hu Xu was talented, the school of thought he advocated was contrary to that of the imperial court, so he failed in the examinations many times, leaving them without alternatives. As a result, they kept on pestering Zhao Xiu and tried to tame him like a hawk.
A person's destiny is connected by both internal and external factors.
The three years that Hu Xu was addicted actually saved him from disaster, and he was enlightened and soared to where he is today.
A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. However, Zhao Xiuzhi's beauty brought him disaster, led him astray, and ruined his future.
It really proves the saying that misfortune is the foundation of good fortune, and good fortune is the root of misfortune.
"For the past three years, they didn't stop me from signing up for the imperial examinations, but they grounded me every time before the exams, forcing me to miss them. After the results were announced, they hosted a banquet for the successful candidates and brought me along, forcing me to watch helplessly as those successful candidates flourished and were courted."
Zhao Xiu is not a mediocre person. On the contrary, he has the ability to win the prize and is proud and arrogant. How can he be willing to be trampled and humiliated like this?
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