Chapter 35 Seeing Through (First published on Jinjiang Literature City)
Li Congwen was confined to his home, and the matter was handed over to the Dali Temple. Fu Mingzi thought the emperor would let the matter go, but he unexpectedly summoned Lu Ding to the palace overnight. Could it be that the Dali Temple had found something out?
and……
Fu Mingzi looked at Xia Zezhen. Their family hadn't received any news about this yet, but the Xia family was well-informed.
“His Majesty has his reasons for what he does. As his subjects, we shouldn’t presume to guess his intentions. Young Master Xia, don’t you agree?” Fu Mingzi looked at Xia Zezhen with a half-smile.
Xia Zezhen's expression froze for a moment, inwardly cursing Fu Mingzi for being such a slippery little fox, but his face returned to its usual calm.
“Young Master Fu is absolutely right. But I am also worried and terrified to hear about this. This case of cheating in the imperial examinations has caused a great uproar. I heard that someone in Young Master Fu’s family is also participating in the examinations. Aren’t you worried?” Xia Ze was probably really angry. His words were laced with sarcasm.
Fu Mingzi found the words somewhat unpleasant, and her tone turned cold: "My eldest nephew has studied diligently for over a decade, possessing solid knowledge and a virtuous character. Even in the prestigious Baima Academy, known for its talented scholars, he has earned some literary fame. He performed exceptionally well in this imperial examination, and the headmaster of the academy highly praised his memorized essay. A person with a clear conscience has nothing to fear. He has done nothing wrong, so what is there to worry about? His Majesty is a wise ruler, and he can clearly distinguish right from wrong and loyalty from treachery."
Fu Mingzi really went all out to disgust Xia Zezhen; after saying those words, she herself felt they were a bit exaggerated.
Xia Zezhen was truly disgusted, his face showing a mixture of unease and reluctance. He thought to himself, "Your nephew is supposed to be of good character? Cunning and treacherous are not even enough to describe him. Does he think I don't know him?" However, he couldn't say this out loud. Xia Zezhen could only force a smile and say, "Young Master Fu is right."
Seeing Xia Zezhen like this, Fu Mingzi was secretly laughing her head off, but at least she didn't show it and turned to enter the palace.
When Fu Mingzi arrived at the West Third Palace, Zhou Xiaoyan had already finished his breakfast and was drinking tea. As soon as he saw Fu Mingzi come in, he waved his hand, and Wei Baocheng brought up a cup of Junshan Silver Needle tea.
Fu Mingzi casually picked it up and took a sip before she could even open her mouth to speak.
"I heard that His Majesty summoned Lu Ding to the palace last night?"
Since the two of them had already expressed their feelings, they spoke without any restraint at this point.
"Yes, that's true." Zhou Xiaoyan seemed quite calm. "But it's not a big deal."
Lu Ding, that old fox, probably already had a plan to escape when this happened. These were Zhou Xiaoyan's unfinished words, and Fu Mingzi was naturally well aware of them.
"Although I'm afraid it won't hurt Lord Lu's bones and muscles, it might not look good on his face. Lord Lu is shrewd enough to endure it, but I'm afraid the Second Prince won't be able to bear such an injustice," Fu Mingzi said with a smile.
Zhou Xiaoyan glanced at Fu Mingzi, a strange light flashing in his eyes. His guess was not wrong.
“Later last night, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review entered the palace to report on the progress of the case. He came out less than a quarter of an hour later, and then the Emperor summoned Lu Ding to the palace. As soon as Lu Ding entered, he stood in front of the main hall for an hour before being granted an audience. He was then scolded in the Taiji Hall, and the sound of smashing cups could be faintly heard from inside. Lu Ding soon came out of the hall with his official hat askew, and has been kneeling outside the Taiji Hall ever since. I’m afraid he hasn’t been able to get up yet. This morning, my second brother’s residence also brought out several servants who had been beaten or killed. I’m afraid there will be some turmoil at the morning court today.” Zhou Xiaoyan did not respond to Fu Mingzi’s words, but instead recounted the whole incident.
Fu Mingzi was somewhat surprised, not expecting the emperor to be so angry and disrespectful to Lu Ding, even resorting to violence.
"What did the Dali Temple find out?" Fu Mingzi asked subconsciously.
After asking the question, he realized that his question was somewhat inappropriate. The Dali Temple only reports to the emperor when it investigates cases. What could a prince like Zhou Xiaoyan, who has no real power and is raised in the deep palace, possibly know?
But to his surprise, Zhou Xiaoyan actually answered.
"The Dali Temple arrested the arrogant scholar who was accused of cheating by the candidates, but found no evidence of cheating. It was just that the arrogant scholar was talking nonsense while drunk. As for the claim that Li Congwen's student sold the exam questions, it was also found to be false. Moreover, it was discovered that the one who spread the rumors was actually an old steward from Lu Ding's household." Zhou Xiaoyan said calmly.
Fu Mingzi was stunned. How could Zhou Xiaoyan know about such secrets? Even if the Duke of Jingguo himself were to investigate, it would probably take a lot of effort. But how long has it been, and Zhou Xiaoyan already knows? Does he really have so many private forces?
Fu Mingzi couldn't help but scrutinize Zhou Xiaoyan, becoming even more cautious about his attitude. Was this really an unfavored prince?
Seeing Fu Mingzi scrutinizing him, Zhou Xiaoyan understood his thoughts to some extent. After thinking for a moment, he explained, "This is news from the Crown Prince's side, so it should be true." Zhou Xiaoyan spoke somewhat guiltily. This was news he had learned after his previous life, and he was telling Fu Mingzi in advance to give him some peace of mind. However, he also didn't want Fu Mingzi to overestimate his power, otherwise, if any problems arose, it would be very serious.
Fu Mingzi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. It turned out to be news about the Crown Prince. It seemed that siding with the Crown Prince did have some advantages, at least in terms of being well-informed.
"I see. In that case, Li Congwen can get away easily, but Lord Lu will probably have to suffer some humiliation." Fu Mingzi said this, but in his heart he was wondering if the previous rumors that Li Congwen sold the exam questions were not actually made by Lu Ding at all, or if Li Congwen was just using a ruse.
Seeing his expression, Zhou Xiaoyan slightly curled his lips: "It doesn't matter if you suffer some setbacks. Lord Lu has cultivated for so many years, his skin is as thick as a city wall. Moreover, he is definitely wary of Li Congwen biting him. The most unpredictable one is actually the Second Prince."
Fu Mingzi deeply resonated with these words, and his face twitched involuntarily. With the Second Prince's fiery temper, he probably couldn't bear such humiliation. If he said something he shouldn't have at court today, Lu Ding would be seriously injured, if not killed.
“However, Lord Lu certainly knows my second brother very well, and he will definitely arrange for someone to teach him how to speak. It all depends on whether my second brother is willing to listen to his maternal grandfather,” Zhou Xiaoyan said.
Fu Mingzi nodded; this was to be expected.
However, thinking of this, Fu Mingzi suddenly frowned and looked at Zhou Xiaoyan.
"Could that Lord Li be one of the Crown Prince's men?" This thought flashed through his mind, but it seemed to take root and sprout, impossible to erase.
Why did the Crown Prince not express his thoughts on the matter of Scholar Duan? Why did he remain silent and act as if nothing had happened after Li Congwen became the chief examiner? Why did he not take advantage of the cheating scandal to completely destroy the Second Prince?
In this light, it is highly likely that Li Congwen was the Crown Prince's man from beginning to end. Because he was the Crown Prince's man, there was no need to prevent him from obtaining the position of chief examiner. Because he was the Crown Prince's man, they knew all along that this cheating case was actually just an empty shell from beginning to end.
His main role was to ensure that the Second Prince's faction not only couldn't get any meat, but also got into a lot of trouble.
Li Congwen, on the contrary, became a good official who was framed, a loyal minister who suffered injustice, and completely severed ties with the Second Prince's faction.
Fu Mingzi thought about it more and more and felt that this was true. She couldn't help but want to applaud the Crown Prince. It's true that a barking dog doesn't bite.
Looking into Fu Mingzi's excited eyes, Zhou Xiaoyan couldn't help but sigh. In just a few words, Fu Mingzi had grasped the key point. Was he really smart, or was he just really suited for officialdom?
“Indeed,” Zhou Xiaoyan said calmly. “Now everyone has probably figured things out. As for Lord Lu, who is so vindictive, His Highness the Crown Prince probably can’t keep him around.”
“So…” Fu Mingzi’s heart skipped a beat as she thought of the Second Prince. Lu Ding might very well have arranged for someone to appease the Second Prince, but if the Crown Prince didn’t want this outcome to happen, then Lu Ding’s arrangements might fail.
Fu Mingzi looked at Zhou Xiaoyan and finally understood what he had said earlier. Today's court assembly was likely to be anything but peaceful.
**
Fifteen minutes later, Fu Mingzi and Zhou Xiaoyan left the West Third Institute. They both looked calm, as if their previous heart-stopping conversation had never happened.
The two also chatted about everyday things, especially Fu Mingzi, who talked about her sister's trip to Beijing.
Originally, it was just a casual topic, but Zhou Xiaoyan became unusually interested in it and asked a few more questions.
However, this was a secret of the Fu family, and Fu Mingzi wouldn't reveal any more details, only explaining the general reasons. Zhou Xiaoyan listened thoughtfully and glanced at Fu Mingzi.
Fu Mingzi felt a chill run down her spine from his gaze, as if he could see right through her.
However, this feeling was only fleeting. The next moment, Zhou Xiaoyan turned his head to the side, paused, and said in a low voice, "Now that the Duchess has come to the capital, it will surely be lively again."
These words were spoken lightly, but Fu Mingzi's heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously glanced at Zhou Xiaoyan. A spectacle? What exactly did he mean by that...?
Fu Mingzi frowned. This shouldn't be the case. Only a few members of the Fu family knew about this. How could Zhou Xiaoyan know? Was it just his imagination?
Before Fu Mingzi could think further, she happened to see the Fourth Prince coming out of her courtyard.
His face initially held a cold expression, quite unlike his usual gentle demeanor, but upon seeing them, he was surprised and immediately put on a smile.
"Fifth brother, Young Master Fu." His tone remained calm.
Fu Mingzi was starting to admire the Fourth Prince. Despite being treated so coldly by Zhou Xiaoyan, he could still greet him with a smile. His level of forbearance was truly remarkable.
"Fourth Imperial Brother." Zhou Xiaoyan's tone remained indifferent, but his expression changed from the previous gentleness towards Fu Mingzi to a coldness, as if coated with a layer of frost.
The fourth prince smiled faintly, not taking it to heart: "Fifth brother is late today."
Today, because I was talking to Fu Mingzi, it was indeed a little later than usual.
"I overslept and wasted time," Zhou Xiaoyan replied coldly.
The fourth prince's smile faltered slightly, and he could only manage a wry smile, as if he were powerless to deal with a mischievous younger brother.
"Then I won't keep you any longer, Fifth Brother. Today, Mother is ill, so I'm afraid I won't be able to go to the Imperial Study. Fifth Brother, farewell." The Fourth Prince said to Zhou Xiaoyan with a worried look in his eyes.
Zhou Xiaoyan frowned as he watched the Fourth Prince leave.
Fu Mingzi was somewhat surprised, not understanding why Zhou Xiaoyan's expression suddenly changed.
“Wei Baocheng,” Zhou Xiaoyan suddenly said, “go and find out what illness Consort Wu has.”
"No matter who it involves, no one is allowed to hide anything." He then quickly added.
"Yes." Consort Wu was from Consort Wan's palace, so Wei Baocheng was not surprised.
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