Chapter 211: A Deadly Danger from the Outer Sky...
Inside the Imperial Clan Court, a commoner imprisoned there heard the news that Qi Chengming had been appointed as the chief examiner for the spring imperial examination. He gritted his teeth and grumbled, "...Is that second son really that lucky? I really don't know what Father Emperor values in him!"
The eunuch, who was lurking suspiciously outside the door, felt awkward and didn't dare to say anything.
He worked as a errand boy in the Imperial Clan Court, and it was already quite risky for him to be able to come over every few days to talk to the Third Prince about trivial matters.
When the princes had all contracted smallpox, the Imperial Clan Court was bustling with activity again, with many people coming to secretly flatter the commoners. Now, only this little eunuch was left. He had to bite the bullet and leave after considering how to fulfill this favor.
Even if he remains loyal... the Third Prince will never rise in rank. If he doesn't take care of himself in the future, who will speak up for his treatment?
Several piercing cries of an infant suddenly rang out from the small courtyard where the commoner was confined, but were quickly soothed by the woman's gentle voice. The commoner clicked his tongue impatiently, lowered his head, and thought rapidly before pressing his finger against the crack in the door and issuing urgent commands:
"That wet nurse! Is the second son's wet nurse still alive and well? Go and send a message to my uncle, tell him to do something about it—"
A sinister glint flashed across the disheveled young man's face: "The imperial examinations are approaching, I don't believe the second son can avoid causing trouble."
"..." The little eunuch braced himself, neither daring to agree nor to refuse.
"Did you hear that?" The commoner's tone turned doubtful.
"Yes..." The little eunuch couldn't refuse and agreed, then lowered his head uneasily and hurriedly left.
He's just a messenger; it's okay if he relays the message one last time... right?
...
When the list of candidates to preside over the imperial examinations was released, the court officials were in an uproar.
Two high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Rites were appointed as deputy examiners for the imperial examinations, to assist the obviously prestigious chief examiner, Prince Rui. Compared to His Majesty's previous ambiguous stance, this appointment was a powerful signal—
He really thinks highly of Prince Rui! He has already begun to entrust him with important responsibilities.
Over the next few days, Qi Chengming felt that the activity at his doorstep had reached a new level. Countless officials, both high and low, came to visit him in an endless stream. To avoid suspicion during the imperial examinations, they all politely presented gifts, left their invitations at the gatehouse, and then took their leave.
They were refined, considerate, and sincere; their actions never bothered Qi Chengming.
"Your Highness, excuse me, this is the new gift list from yesterday." Even the seasoned Song Gu could hardly contain himself, so he brought over a thick list for His Highness to see.
Qi Chengming, who was reading in Yinquan Courtyard, couldn't sit still any longer. He apologized to Teacher Wang, went outside to the corridor, and was shocked by what he saw: "Is most of the court here for me?"
Qi Chengming had already accepted a wave of overt and covert attempts by court officials to curry favor with him, and had even reached an understanding with the Minister of Justice and others. But now, with even more people frantically trying to make an impression on him, Qi Chengming dared not accept any more.
What would the old emperor think?
I bet they've been waiting to see if he'll get cocky.
"Pack your bags, I'm going to stay in the palace until the imperial examinations are over," Qi Chengming ordered anxiously. He needed to lay low for a while. "Return all these gifts according to the visiting cards."
"Yes." Song Gu calmly replied, without mentioning the thick gold purse in his arms at all.
Those outside had naturally offered various bribes to the princes' close associates, but fortunately, he had a good memory and these bribes should be returned in full to avoid causing trouble for His Highness. He would go and remind everyone one by one later; there was no need for His Highness to worry about these trivial matters again, he would handle it himself.
Two incense sticks later, Qi Chengming took Gan Tang and left in the carriage without looking back, as fast as if a ghost was chasing them.
After so long, Aunt Anxiang's attitude had softened considerably, but a suitable opportunity hadn't yet been found to speak with her face-to-face. This time, Qi Chengming wanted to take advantage of his visit to the palace to pay his respects to the Empress and try his luck in the inner palace again.
but--
There's something more important to do right now.
As soon as Qi Chengming arrived at the palace, he went to the Ministry of Rites of the previous dynasty and sought out the current Minister of Rites—the father of his study companion Chu Hong, who was also the former Prefect of Chang'an, the one whose love of food led Qi Chengming to send Eunuch Zhang to his residence early on.
Lord Chu and another official from the Ministry of Rites were tasked with assisting Qi Chengming in drafting the examination questions for the imperial examinations. For this, the Hanlin Academy even sent a group of scholars to help. Everyone knew that Prince Rui was there to gain favor, so the task still fell to them. These minor officials could only silently pray that the prince wouldn't pretend to know what he was doing and interfere with their work.
Wang Shi also came today.
Since marrying the princess, his status in the Hanlin Academy has risen steadily, and everyone treats him with utmost respect. He's always among those who get a share of the good fortune. He was also sent to assist in organizing the imperial examinations this year.
“Your Highness… Prince Rui would never do that.” Wang Shi reassured his colleague in a low voice, trying to hide the pride in his tone. “I’ve heard that Prince Rui is exceptionally intelligent and treats people very well. He has never messed up a task he’s undertaken since returning to the capital.”
"..." The colleague hesitated, glanced at him, and was still very uneasy.
Other duties are other duties, but is presiding over the imperial examinations really a good idea? This is the perfect opportunity to win people's hearts and show respect to talented individuals. Whether it's recruiting people or accepting gifts, even Prince Rui wouldn't be tempted?
Wang Shi sensed his colleague's distrust. He didn't say anything more, but straightened his back even more, holding his breath and preparing to explain things to him properly after the event! Hmph, that's the new emperor!
Who would do something so foolish? It's not even the wise new ruler's place to do such a thing!
—You'll see how good the new emperor is later!
The imperial examination papers for the spring examination were prepared by His Majesty with specific questions, and the scholars of the Hanlin Academy had already completed most of them. Once the examiners were appointed, the three examiners would then set some important questions, each with their own style, and the examination papers would be considered complete.
Qi Chengming worked tirelessly in the Ministry of Rites for four or five days, forgetting to eat or sleep. Finally, he saw the exam papers sealed up, and his sense of satisfaction increased greatly.
He had rarely been this happy since returning to the capital.
It's great to not have to worry about any dirty business, to not have anyone tripping you up all the time, and to not have to be on guard against anything. It's wonderful to have others work together with you to get the job done!
At this point, there were less than half a month left before the spring imperial examination.
Qi Chengming left the Ministry of Rites and went straight back to the Second Prince's residence, wanting Gan Tang to massage his shoulders first, as he was extremely tired and sore from the past few days. Gan Tang couldn't easily go to the imperial court while staying at the Second Prince's residence, so seeing His Highness finally return, her eyes lit up, and she excitedly rushed forward to greet him:
"Your Highness! A message has arrived from the manor. It says that the young master of the Wang family is engaged to the second daughter of the Marquis of Qi..."
Qi Chengming was stunned for a moment, then his mind raced and he realized, "Cousin?"
Even though the princess was already betrothed to someone else, did her maternal grandparents still find her a marriage match as soon as possible out of a sense of security?
"And who is Marquis Qi?" Qi Chengming had no recollection of him and asked tentatively. After several years in this world, he could confidently ask anyone he didn't understand. Even if those around him were puzzled, they would subconsciously find excuses for him—such as His Highness being forgetful and not remembering these things.
In order to report to His Highness, Gan Tang had naturally made preparations in advance. She said with a smile, "The Marquis of Qi was also enfeoffed for his merits in his early years when he fought alongside the late emperor, but this generation has declined and lost his military power. He only has a few daughters in his family and does not even have a son born out of wedlock."
Qi Chengming's heart settled back into his chest: "This is not bad."
If the Qi family were in a good position, the maternal grandparents probably wouldn't have been willing to arrange a marriage between their daughter and the old emperor.
Now it seems that his cousin's marriage is to the daughter of a military officer... at least, the two can talk to each other. However, Qi Chengming recalled his cousin Wang Shuo's oblivious demeanor a while ago, making it difficult to guess whether he was actually aware of the situation.
Qi Chengming was still inwardly mocking and criticizing when he saw Gan Tang's expression calm down a bit. She cautiously observed his expression and reported on the next matter: "Also, Your Highness..."
Gan Tang carefully chose her words: "When Banli went out of the manor to buy rouge and face powder, she was hit by a horse. The manor has already collected her body. The wet nurse hasn't left the manor since last time, and she was terrified when she heard this."
Qi Chengming suddenly looked up at Gan Tang. He saw that Gan Tang's eyes also held a sense of seriousness, rather than confusion.
"...Was it an accident?" Qi Chengming asked in a cold voice, his throat still dry.
Gan Tang shook her head: "This servant doesn't know. Chief Steward Song sent people to investigate. All they know is that it was an arrogant playboy from the capital who was recklessly riding his horse and accidentally killed someone. The next day, the playboy's father carried him to the door to apologize. He was beaten so badly that his skin was torn and bleeding. Lord Mao secretly took a look and said that he was beaten to death, and one of his legs was even broken!"
The more Qi Chengming listened, the more familiar the name sounded: "Could it be Li Banhui?"
Fortunately, Gan Tang denied it.
“That’s also inseparable from their circle of playboys.” Qi Chengming stepped into the study unhappily, immediately ground ink and wrote a letter to Li Banhui, asking him to help investigate the inside story.
After being ignored for so long, Li Banhui has been trying his best to make amends, showing a good attitude and not causing any major trouble. Sending him to inquire about things within the circle of wealthy, privileged young men he knows should be appropriate.
A death had occurred right around him... Qi Chengming absolutely could not tolerate this.
The next day, he returned to the Prince's Mansion. He did not intend to place all his hopes on Li Banhui, but instead planned to talk to Chief Steward Song and find out the whole story.
"Your Highness..." Song Gu greeted him with a guilty expression. He hadn't found anything in the past few days, only some clues, which were barely leads. "I only found one suspicious point: Banli took a lot of gold and silver with her when she left the manor, which far exceeded her allowance."
"Perhaps when she accepted bribes at the manor before, she was greedy and didn't return the money... but this time she took it all out with her. She wouldn't have spent that much on rouge and face powder."
Song simply explained in detail the clues he had learned.
He noticed that the new emperor opposite him suddenly changed his expression after hearing these words, and asked urgently, "What bribery? What return?"
Song Gu vaguely realized the gravity of the matter. He dared not delay and recounted how many people had previously offered them bribes of gold and silver. Fearing trouble for His Highness, Song Gu had ordered everyone not to accept them, and they all returned them. Now it seemed that the money Banli had handed over wasn't all; she had at least kept a large sum of gold and silver on her person!
Qi Chengming: "..."
"I'm sorry, Your Highness... it was my oversight." Song Gu lifted the hem of his robe, knelt down uneasily to beg for forgiveness, feeling extremely guilty and uneasy.
He hadn't told His Highness about this little matter back then... Now he wondered if he had somehow ruined something for the new emperor.
"No, it's nothing." Qi Chengming came to his senses, wearily helping Steward Song to his feet, his teeth clenched. "This has nothing to do with you... If my guess is right, I probably know who did it!"
Without saying a word, he opened the surveillance footage, selected the data recorded in the cloud cache, and rewound to the point a few days ago when he was still busy working in the Ministry of Rites, watching it at eight times the speed.
really.
One day, the old emperor heard something reported and became so angry that his face turned purple and his chest heaved.
stop.
Qi Chengming stopped there with a somber expression, then turned back slightly to look down.
As he expected...
Emperor Hongren's face was ashen, like a cauliflower. He questioned the kneeling Cui Anshi in a low voice, his body radiating an overwhelming aura of power and anger: "So you're saying... only that palace maid was greedy?"
Cui, the envoy, lay sprawled on the ground, barely daring to breathe or utter a single word.
"Haha...! The others are truly loyal." The old emperor laughed in anger, his expression unreadable, whether it was relief or embarrassment at losing face. He squeezed out a murderous sentence through gritted teeth, "This matter must not be spread. That palace maid... be careful."
“…Yes.” Cui Anshi lowered his head even further and carefully scrambled out, his back soaked with sweat.
Not everyone can witness the emperor's humiliating moments. If someone were to learn of a secret affair that would disgrace the emperor, they would be even more worried about losing their life.
Qi Chengming laughed in exasperation upon seeing this: "..."
ha.
Old Deng was still thinking about that stupid test, hoping that the people around him would succumb to temptation and make mistakes, which would then be exposed so he could deal with them. Who knew that there was only one person who couldn't resist greed—the old emperor himself personally pointed him into the palace!
Chestnut's life was lost so easily.
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