Chapter 27 Imperial Examination Cheating
Soon, the appointments of the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) were gradually announced.
The official documents from the Ministry of Personnel were transmitted layer by layer to various prefectures. Most of them either served as county assistants in local county governments or as the lowest-ranking officials in various ministries in the capital.
It's nothing more than a low-ranking position.
Even Du Cong, who ranked third in the imperial examinations, only received the position of proofreader.
The most eye-catching appointment this time is undoubtedly Pei Huaijin.
He was surprisingly promoted to Left Remonstrator, a full two ranks higher than the other Jinshi graduates of the same cohort.
Pei Huaijin was renowned for his virtue among prominent families. His reputation for being able to compose poetry at the age of seven and write essays at the age of ten had already spread throughout the capital. Backed by the Pei family, a century-old prestigious clan, it was not surprising that he held such an official position.
However, during the court assembly the very next day, the newly appointed third-ranked scholar, Du Cong, suddenly stepped forward and declared in a loud voice: "Your subject, Du Cong, impeaches Zhang Cheng, the Assistant Minister of Personnel, for accepting bribes and for engaging in favoritism and corruption in the recent appointment of officials, thus protecting powerful families!"
These words caused a stir in both the court and the public.
The hall fell silent instantly. The civil and military officials looked at each other in bewilderment, and even the emperor on his throne frowned slightly.
This is actually nothing unusual.
Most of the officials in the court came from aristocratic families, and it was common for them to show favoritism towards those from such families when appointing officials.
Historically, aristocratic families have always had a significant advantage over scholars from humble backgrounds when it comes to granting official positions.
Those poor students who suffered losses dared not speak out, for if they offended the powerful families, how could they have a place in the court in the future?
But now, the newly crowned third-place finisher has brought this matter into the open.
Moreover, the words themselves elevated the matter to a point of contention between the poor and the powerful.
That Du Cong, he really has a lot of nerve.
Moreover, Zhang Cheng, whom he impeached, was only a sixth-rank official.
However, because he was in charge of evaluating and selecting officials, he had dealings with quite a few ministers and powerful families in the court.
If this impeachment is substantiated, the implications will be far-reaching.
Zhang Cheng remained calm and quickly stepped forward to defend himself, "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I have devoted myself to this appointment, and the result was jointly reviewed and approved by Minister Zheng and Chancellor Cui. How can you allow me to fabricate something?"
Du Cong, however, showed no fear and continued, "I dare not speak recklessly. I have evidence that Zhang Cheng accepted bribes, and I also have the joint testimony of the other Jinshi graduates from the same cohort."
"Nonsense!" Minister of Personnel Zheng Chong immediately stepped forward to refute, "Assistant Zhang has served for three years with integrity and honesty. How could he possibly engage in favoritism and corruption? Could it be that Scholar Du harbors resentment and maliciously slanders me because of his low rank?"
Zheng Chong was in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, and Zhang Cheng was his direct subordinate. Moreover, all official appointment documents were reviewed and approved by him before being issued.
If a problem is indeed found, he will also be held responsible.
Moreover, he had indeed secretly accepted money from the Pei family. If this were to be exposed, he would lose his official position.
Therefore, he had no choice but to step in to protect Zhang Cheng.
Du Cong kowtowed to the ground, but his voice became even more resolute: "I am willing to stake my head on this matter, every word I have said is true! I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and give justice to the students."
Zhang Cheng also knelt down and kowtowed, repeatedly proclaiming that he was wronged.
Pei Huaijin stood among the court officials, a nameless unease rising in his heart.
He had already heard that his posting to be the county magistrate of Lingnan was a county magistrate, but three days ago he suddenly received an imperial decree to be reassigned as the Left Remonstrance Official.
That was a prestigious and important position serving the emperor, one that countless people would fight tooth and nail to obtain.
At the time, I just thought it was a stroke of good luck and didn't think much of it.
Only then did he realize with a start that this impeachment against the official appointment was clearly aimed at him!
After all, among all the newly appointed officials in the court, only his official position was so prominent and eye-catching.
This is clearly someone deliberately pushing him into the limelight, waiting to see him fall to his death.
Who is it?
In an instant, he thought of the eldest princess he had just offended.
Pei Huaijin subconsciously looked up and saw Li Yuanzhao standing at the very front of the court, looking completely unconcerned, as if the turmoil in the hall had nothing to do with her.
He should have realized it sooner. The princess was capricious and vindictive. How could he expect to get away with refusing her advances that day?
However, Pei Huaijin is upright and honest, has never had any private dealings with Zhang Cheng, and has never been involved in any corrupt activities, so what is there to be afraid of?
Pei Huaijin straightened his back, meeting the gazes around him that were either probing, questioning, or hostile.
The Emperor on the throne remained silent for a moment, then shifted his gaze from Du Cong and Zhang Cheng to Li Yuanzhao, who was standing at the very front, and slowly asked, "Yuanzhao, what do you think?"
The eyes of everyone in the hall immediately focused on Li Yuanzhao.
Li Yuanzhao then calmly stepped forward and slowly said, "I have heard that the newly appointed top scholar composed a satirical poem at the Qujiang Banquet, subtly criticizing the cheating in the imperial examinations and the unfair selection of officials. This poem has been widely circulated among the people, and its influence is truly terrible."
As soon as she finished speaking, a low murmur arose in the hall.
Then everyone remembered the poem that was widely circulated among the common people, which had caused quite a stir at the time, but they never expected that the princess would mention it at this moment.
"Now that Scholar Du has pleaded his case in court, this matter must have caused quite a stir and unsettled the people," Li Yuanzhao continued. "I believe that if the matter is handled unfairly, it will discourage the students of the world. I hope that Your Majesty will order a thorough investigation to set the record straight and quell public anger."
Zhang Cheng's face instantly turned extremely ugly. He looked at the princess, his eyes filled with unspoken words.
But after meeting Li Yuanzhao's gaze, she lowered her head and obediently shut her mouth.
Minister Zheng's expression was also unpleasant. He hadn't expected that the Princess's few casual words would suddenly escalate the seriousness of the matter.
After listening, the Emperor nodded: "Yuan Zhao is absolutely right. This matter not only concerns the selection of officials by the Ministry of Personnel, but also the trust that students across the country have in the court. It would be best to investigate it thoroughly."
At this moment, Prime Minister Su Jingzhi, who had remained silent, stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, this matter involves many officials and powerful families, and has far-reaching implications. I am willing to personally investigate this case and will surely give Your Majesty and the people of the world a fair result.”
The prime minister personally investigating the case carries far more weight than the involvement of the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review.
The entire court was shocked. Su Jingzhi had held the position of prime minister for more than ten years and was known for his composure. He rarely took the initiative to get involved in cases involving factional disputes.
This statement today clearly indicates an attempt to seize control of the matter.
Li Yuanzhao, however, said calmly, "The Emperor and the court have all seen the Prime Minister's good intentions. However..."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the officials in the hall, each with a different expression. "The prime minister also comes from a prestigious family. Your investigation might cause controversy among scholars, who might say that our dynasty still favors the aristocratic class, thus betraying His Majesty's original intention to quell public anger."
Su Jingzhi came from the Su family of Kuaiji. Although it was a declining aristocratic family, it was still considered a prestigious family.
If he personally presides over the investigation, even if the final result is fair, students from poor families will inevitably suspect that there is favoritism involved.
Su Jingzhi said, "Your Highness is overthinking it. I have served as Prime Minister for many years and have always prioritized the law of the land, never showing favoritism. Moreover, this case involves the integrity of the administration, and as Prime Minister, I have an inescapable responsibility to do so."
"Is that so?" Li Yuanzhao raised his eyebrows slightly. "Then I would like to ask the Prime Minister, your son hosted a banquet for the newly appointed scholars from aristocratic families at the Red Flower Pavilion the other day. During the banquet, he said that 'the newly appointed scholars are nothing but commoners and brutes. How can they be worthy of serving in the same court as the sons of aristocratic families?' Is this true?"
An uproar erupted inside the hall.
No one expected that the eldest princess would know so much about the details of the private banquet, which clearly implied that the Su family was also involved in the matter.
Su Jingzhi's face instantly turned ashen. "Princess, do not believe the rumors!"
"Whether it's a rumor or not, an investigation will tell." Li Yuanzhao's tone was calm, but every word carried pressure. "Father, I am not questioning Prime Minister Su's character, but this case concerns the credibility of the court. If a minister from a powerful family is in charge of the investigation, it will inevitably give others something to criticize. It would be better to entrust it to me, and ask the Censorate to participate in the supervision. Only in this way can the people of the world be convinced."
The hall fell silent instantly upon hearing this; no one had expected the princess to volunteer.
Su Jingzhi suddenly looked up, a hint of disbelief flashing in his eyes, which then turned into deep vigilance.
Given the Princess's methods and audacity, if she were to intervene, it's likely that not only Zhang Cheng and Pei Huaijin, but also most of the officials in the court would be implicated.
He wanted to object, but the Emperor spoke up, "Alright, let it be."
Li Yuanzhao bowed and accepted the imperial decree.
After the court session ended, the powerful officials were filled with anxiety, fearing that the investigation would implicate them.
The officials from humble backgrounds were overjoyed, feeling that this would finally put a blow to the smugness of the powerful families.
(Proofreader: a rank of the ninth grade, responsible for proofreading classics, compiling documents, and verifying texts. Most prime ministers started as proofreaders.)
Left Remonstrator: An eighth-rank official under the Secretariat, responsible for remonstrating with the emperor, pointing out errors in policies, laws, or actions. They wielded considerable influence and served as an important stepping stone for scholars seeking advancement.
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