Chapter 359
A commoner from a remote mountain village dared to confront the emperor directly!
With such courage, he will surely be no ordinary person in the future. And such an extraordinary person is on the enemy's side, so it's no wonder the Crown Prince is in such a hurry.
“But it seems there’s really no other way right now,” the retainer said. “After the spring examination comes the palace examination, so perhaps… we can only take action in the imperial court.”
The eldest prince was extremely annoyed: "Fine, fine, as long as I'm not dragged into this this time, we can deal with the rest later!"
"Your Highness is absolutely right."
Once he was certain the fire wouldn't spread to him, the eldest prince dismissed his retainers.
Soon after, news of the commotion from the First Prince's residence reached the Eastern Palace.
After hearing the servant's report, the Crown Prince was overjoyed: "Zirong is indeed capable! He actually anticipated that my elder brother was behind this, and told me to keep an eye on his residence. He was right!"
Shen Jun was also honored: "Your Highness is too kind."
"It is truly my good fortune that Your Excellency has raised such a promising son!" The Crown Prince said this with great sincerity.
Shen Jun's lips curled up wildly, but he was mindful of not losing his composure in front of the Crown Prince, and he almost had a cramp.
"Now that I've finally caught you red-handed, I'm not going to let you go!"
The crown prince was overwhelmed with excitement.
The Crown Prince's people in the Ministry of Rites can finally be mobilized!
"If there is anything your subject and son can do to help, please give us your instructions, Your Highness."
The Crown Prince smiled and said, "Zirong has put in so much effort and is a hidden agent, so it's not good for him to get involved in the subsequent operations. As for the Marquis, I won't be polite to you."
Shen Jun laughed loudly: "Your Highness, I will obey your orders!"
——
For several days in a row, everyone in Luoyang was paying close attention to the movements of the Censorate.
Five days later, at the morning court session, the Censorate compiled the final report and submitted it to the emperor.
The document records Duan Huaichuan's entire itinerary since arriving in Luoyang, and together with the testimonies of several question setters and examiners, it is sufficient to prove that Duan Huaichuan indeed had no contact with them.
Since there was no contact, the possibility of leaking exam questions became even more unlikely.
Just as the matter was about to be resolved, the Crown Prince hadn't quite let his breath catch when an official stepped forward: "Your Majesty, this matter has been peacefully concluded, but as the saying goes, there's no smoke without fire. Who exactly was stirring up trouble behind the scenes, and who intended to harm a pillar of the nation? This still needs a thorough investigation!"
Upon hearing this, the emperor's expression, which had just softened, turned serious again.
good.
If we don't get to the bottom of this, what if the person behind it tries the same trick again in the future, or someone in the court follows suit?
The imperial examination was a matter of great importance, and the emperor would never allow anyone to take advantage of it.
The emperor immediately issued an order for a thorough investigation.
This turmoil is far from over, and countless people in and out of the government are waiting to see what happens.
Just then, a servant of Vice Minister Xu of the Ministry of Rites reported that the news had been leaked by someone sent by Vice Minister Xu.
After a thorough investigation, some clues were indeed found.
While a mere Vice Minister of Rites might not wield such power, those above him would be considered imperial relatives.
After weighing the pros and cons, the emperor ultimately blamed the matter on Vice Minister Xu, ordering the execution of some members of his family and their exile, thus ending the matter.
The Crown Prince's faction was clearly dissatisfied with the outcome, but they couldn't say anything.
The others in Luoyang City could no longer contain themselves, and invitations flew like snowflakes towards the Marquis of Anping's residence. Even Shen Jun couldn't resist, so he had to order his servants to organize all the invitations and personally take them to the guest residence.
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