joke
Regardless of whether the rumors are true or false, several horrific tragedies did indeed occur last night.
Among the students who were attacked on the banks of the Qujiang River a few days ago, several were attacked by a dark figure last night, suffering serious injuries to their waists and legs, with their bright red intestines spilling out, a sight that was chilling.
Even more alarming is that most of these young men held positions in the capital and were top-ranking scholars who had passed the imperial examinations.
For a time, the entire city of Chang'an was in a state of panic. Some of the scholars who had escaped the disaster hid in government offices and dared not go out at all, for fear of losing their heads.
The people living in Chang'an were eager to watch the spectacle, and they chattered among their neighbors about it. In less than an hour, men and women, dressed in peach-colored skirts and willow-green ribbons, gathered together and recounted the list of successful candidates in this year's imperial examinations.
The first to be affected was Liu Chengzhi, who was still in the Hanlin Academy.
Today, Liu Xu was curled up in his seat, one ear perked up, eyes half-closed as he dozed off. Lately, he had only been studying some government affairs, which had brought him a lot of leisure.
A gentle breeze blew in his face, and he slowly opened his eyes. He saw people gathered around him, and a colleague asked with concern, "Chengzhi, are you alright?"
Liu Xu's hand trembled, and he knocked over an ink bottle.
"It's nothing, I've just been very busy lately and feel a bit tired."
It would have been better if he hadn't said that. As soon as he did, the older "Bodhi-faced" men exchanged knowing smiles: "Newlyweds, newlyweds indeed!"
Liu Xu was taken aback, then realized what was happening, blushed, but also noticed that something was wrong with everyone. "What happened?"
"You don't know?" an adult exclaimed dramatically, "Last night, a thief fled from Chang'an under the moonlight and sneaked into the homes of many young men, injuring quite a few!"
Liu Xu thought to himself that the plan had worked, but he looked panicked and asked, "Have you found out who the thief is?"
"Since he stabbed multiple people, do you know if it was for money or revenge?"
The man paced back and forth, stroking his gray beard, muttering to himself, "No, no."
"He is not motivated by greed or murder. In my opinion, this man is seeking a kind of pleasure. He is pleased to see his former adversary groveling before him."
Liu Xu: "What do you mean? Does Your Excellency have any basis for your statement?"
"nature!"
"Does Chengzhi know who the assassins were?" After saying this, he answered himself, and said with a sense of vicissitude, "They were the top scholars who passed the imperial examination this year. Therefore, the thief must have done this because they were resentful of failing the exam and were filled with dissatisfaction."
"Chengzhi, did you really not hear anything last night?"
Cold sweat broke out on Liu Xu's back. If he didn't know the details of this matter, he would really suspect that the eloquent official in front of him was an inside man arranged by Xie Lingxi to perform a double act with him!
Several pairs of eyes were watching him closely. Liu Xu pretended to be worried, his eyes dim. "My wife caught a cold last night, and I was taking care of her, so I didn't notice anything unusual."
"Ah...yes, yes."
Several old foxes whispered among themselves, their hands behind their backs, "That Lady Xie!"
A few days ago, when Lady Xie was studying with a tutor in the palace academy, she argued with Hanlin Xia in court that "women and petty men are difficult to deal with." I dare not forget that!
Shivering, he looked at Chen Liufang beside him and asked, "Liufang, I heard that Lord Chen fell ill a few days ago. Is he feeling better now?"
Xia Hanlin had just asked a question when he suddenly noticed the scar on the man's forehead, and then he recalled the rumors about him being "blue-faced with fangs, pale-faced and beardless, with a gaping maw"—
Chen Liufang's scar is the same one that came from the Nine Temples!
Although there are some good-for-nothings in Jiusi Village, the rumors are not unfounded.
Xia Hanlin was very adept at navigating social situations and rarely encountered setbacks. However, Chen Liufang didn't even glance at him, staring intently at Liu Xu with lifeless eyes and a gloomy expression.
He slowly opened his mouth and asked, "Lord Liu, are brothels fun?"
Liu Xu was taken aback by what he said, and then heard him mockingly say, "Lord Liu is really a romantic. Just the other day he was flirting with prostitutes in a brothel, and today he's playing the role of a love saint who adores his wife."
This man was truly ugly; with his upper lip tucked up, he looked even more like a emaciated rat that had been scalded by hot water.
Liu Xu: "What does Liu Fang mean by this?"
He looked up innocently and said, "You know so much about my whereabouts, so you went too?"
Chen Liufang squinted his grayish-white eyes: "If you don't want others to know, then don't let others know. Lord Liu, you love to gossip about others, and I am no less so."
Turning the tables on someone else.
Upon hearing this, Liu Xu stood up, pretending to pick up the inkstone as if to pour it over Liu Xu's head, then raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Who started this?"
"Ouch—!"
A sudden gust of wind swept all the books and writing brushes off the table. Several old scholars jumped up in alarm and hurriedly reached out to grab the official documents in the air.
Over there, some were holding inkstones, others were grasping brushes and ink, and a few, even eager to add fuel to the fire, were waving their wide sleeves and carrying mahogany chairs—
"Calm down! Calm down!"
Xia Hanlin was unaware that his words to Chen Liufang had caused such a storm. After finally managing to tug at his flying beard, he first called out to the good-natured Liu Xu, "Chengzhi!"
"Calm down, put the ink down."
Liu Xu did not listen.
Xia Hanlin turned to Chen Liufang, his eyes cautious: "Liufang, the inkstone."
Chen Liufang then stood on tiptoe to raise the inkstone.
Xia Hanlin was furious.
He slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Stop it, all of you!"
"You are all exceptionally talented individuals, selected from among thousands to enter the Hanlin Academy—"
After finishing his string of words, he paused for a moment and continued, "Nowadays, moving tables and chairs, picking loquats under the tree, and beating one's own family members in the back, how is this any different from the village women of Jingzhou arguing and fighting over two pieces of greasy meat that fell on the ground!"
Seeing Liu Xu's eyes flicker slightly, he said, "What are you glaring at me for! Is your behavior honorable?!"
...
It is indeed disgraceful.
At this moment, in the Mingguang Hall, the Emperor's face was gloomy, and the civil and military officials below held their tablets, heads bowed, holding their breath, and remained silent.
Dark clouds loomed overhead, foreshadowing a storm.
The Emperor walked slowly through the high hall, with twelve tassels hanging down from the front and back of his crown. They were clearly made of five-colored jade, yet they exuded an undeniable majesty.
Emperor Yongxu, Yan Yu, his face ashen, slammed down a memorial, which landed at the feet of the officials.
"I had no idea that Chang'an had become such a 'hell'."
Although Emperor Yongxu was smiling, his eyes betrayed no joy; they were as deep as a still pool, sending chills down one's spine.
A man in green robes knelt down, trembling, and kowtowed, sighing, "Your Majesty! These unruly people are spreading rumors and causing trouble! What assassins, what villains! It's all baseless, Your Majesty!"
Another person clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I think otherwise."
"Our holy dynasty has been established for a hundred years, and the path to prosperity lies in prioritizing the people's livelihood and diligently serving the people! This case is of great importance, and if the people behind it are not investigated and eliminated, it will discourage students throughout the land!"
A few scattered people chimed in.
Emperor Yongxu stared at the assembled officials below the stage, as if he could read their minds, and asked with a forced smile, "What do you think, my dear minister?"
"Please forgive my boldness, but I request that this case be handled by the Court of Judicial Review, with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Rites assisting in clearing away the complicated channels so that it can reach the Emperor directly."
The speaker was Fang Jin, the Minister of Rites, who held the title but actually held other positions. His eyes were sharp: "Your Majesty, I have examined myself and found that the Ministry of Rites is at fault."
"This matter is likely related to a case of cheating in the imperial examinations."
As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Shen, leaning on his scepter, stepped forward with his back straight.
"Your Majesty, I have important matters to report!"
Emperor Yongxu: "Speak."
Mo Shen declared vehemently: "Your Majesty, I must remonstrate that the Left and Right Guards of the Southern Palace are in cahoots with [illegible] and have stabbed several officials in the capital!"
"I know they are Your Majesty's personal guards, originally established to protect the people and the nation. However, some of them have risked their lives to assassinate others for petty gains. The waist token that fell in Lord Yang's room can serve as evidence of this!"
Just as Emperor Yongxu was about to speak, Mo Shen bowed again—
"His Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, I hereby impeach Zhang Shitu, the official in charge of drafting the list of successful candidates in the Ministry of Rites, for harboring malicious intentions and disrupting the ranking of the successful candidates, thus laying the groundwork for today's disaster!"
Emperor Yongxu: "Oh? If the rankings were incorrect, why wasn't it reported months ago?"
Mo Shen, with tears streaming down his face, said, "This morning I heard rumors circulating in the marketplace that a talented person had failed the imperial examination and had already given up. But I never knew that the exam paper was leaked out last night, and it was actually written under someone else's name!"
Emperor Yongxu's brows were furrowed.
"Chen Qian".
Chen Qian, the Vice Minister of Rites, bowed his head and replied, "Your humble servant is here."
"Where is Zhang's career going?"
Chen Qian's legs trembled: "Lord Zhang, he's still at the office!"
After these words were spoken, no one spoke, and another deathly silence fell.
Mo Shen was wondering if he would have to bang his head against the pillar and bleed again when he heard the Emperor pick up the inkstone and smash it down, drenching Chen Qian in blood—
Suddenly, everyone in the palace held their breath; the true dragon was furious.
"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly for me!"
...
Meanwhile, chaos still raged within the Hanlin Academy.
Chen Liufang still held the inkstone high, and walked around the table with Liu Xu a few times, giving off a sense of desperation.
On the other side, Xia Hanlin was arguing with someone, spittle flying everywhere. They were arguing about how vulgar and disrespectful Xia Hanlin's words were to women. The other person spat and, seeing that he couldn't reason with him, raised his fist.
The remaining people were at a loss, so they simply chose their respective sides according to their own feelings, rolled up their sleeves, and fought like roosters.
Xie Lingxi stepped inside and stumbled upon this scene.
A calligraphy brush, stained with ink and howling like a wolf, flew over. She heard her husband shout, "You fierce monster! How could someone so ugly become a third-place scholar!"
Then, a hoarse voice retorted, not to be outdone: "You shameless scoundrel Liu, you flatterer with your looks!"
Liu Xu was about to start cursing when he saw a person standing gracefully in front of the door, with a face as beautiful as a spring flower. It was Xie Lingxi. He exclaimed, "Ah!"
"My wife!"
Xie Lingxi tilted her head to avoid the brush, observed the brilliance of the room, and let out a cold laugh.
It was already noon, and Liu Xu had not yet returned home. She had already heard that there was a great uproar in the previous dynasty, and fearing that something might have happened to Liu Xu, she went to the Hanlin Academy after some thought.
It's so lively!
Xie Lingxi glanced at the eye of the storm but couldn't quite tell who was fighting. She cleared her throat and knocked hard on the door: "Everyone, lunch is ready."
Beside him, Xia Hanlin was sweating profusely from the shouting, his ears filled with the man's angry curses, which sounded like heavenly music to him.
Turning her head, she saw Xie Lingxi and, recalling the embarrassment she had just made, covered her face.
The fire inside the hall was then extinguished.
"We waited for our husbands to return home, but they did not come, so we came here. What were you all arguing about just now?"
Putting aside other matters, Liu Chen and the others were considered young people, while several old scholars silently stepped back a few steps and handed over the debate hall.
The moment she appeared, Chen Liufang stared intently at her, his eyes filled with resentment and humiliation.
Xie Lingxi, suddenly inspired, said to Liu Xu, "Don't argue with the wild duck, or it might throw dirty water on you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
