Chapter 317 True Feelings
Out of caution, those who participated in reviewing the vermilion and ink scrolls were not allowed to have contact with the outside world until the review was completed; they ate, drank, and relieved themselves inside the scrolls.
Xu Jinnian adapted well to this, while Song Zhihang complained quite a bit.
Fortunately, I have good friends with me, so the days aren't too boring.
For the first few days, the Ministry of Rites warehouse was calm and there were no fires.
However, on the sixth day, with the appearance of two scrolls with the same name but different answers, unexpected events began to occur frequently in the warehouse.
Someone either got food poisoning or caught a cold, and they needed to be treated immediately.
When someone leaves, someone else has to come in to fill the gap.
Among the new recruits, one of them even hid a tinderbox inside a chrysanthemum and brought it in, then set fire to the vermilion scrolls late at night when no one was looking.
Fortunately, the guards discovered the fire in time and extinguished it before it could spread. The arsonist was also found.
Unfortunately, before Ning Sihan could interrogate him overnight, he took advantage of the moment when his guards relaxed their guards and slammed his head against the wall, dying on the spot.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that his entire family had been kidnapped by criminals who threatened them with their lives, forcing him to secretly hide tinder and set the house on fire.
Ning Sihan presented the investigation results to Emperor Jinghe, who was furious: "Outrageous! Utterly outrageous!"
The eunuchs and palace maids were so frightened that they knelt on the ground.
Emperor Jinghe looked at Ning Sihan, his expression softening slightly: "You must be careful of your safety. I will send a guard to protect you."
Ning Sihan did not refuse and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Emperor Jinghe raised his hand, and the eunuchs and palace maids quietly withdrew.
Only two people remained in the vast imperial study.
Emperor Jinghe stood up and walked down, patted Ning Sihan on the shoulder, and said in a gentle voice: "These past two years, my dear minister has been sharing my burdens. You have worked hard."
A look of emotion appeared on Ning Sihan's face, and her voice was not as calm as usual: "It is my duty to share Your Majesty's burdens."
Emperor Jinghe looked at him and said, "You are very good. You are indeed your mother's child."
He had little recollection of Madam Ning, who had passed away many years ago, but he always remembered the fatal blow she had taken for him and his mother.
In his early years, he and his mother doted on this child, even more than their princes and princesses. This was partly out of gratitude for his mother's saving the emperor, and partly to show the civil and military officials.
But over the years, he has indeed developed a certain affection for this child.
Therefore, after he recovered, he made an exception and allowed the child to enter the Dali Temple, despite the opposition of the officials, and promoted him to the position of Vice Minister within two years.
Fortunately, the child did not disappoint him; the tasks he was given often exceeded his expectations.
He only trusted him to handle this case of favoritism and corruption.
Upon hearing Emperor Jinghe mention his mother, Ning Sihan's face showed a hint of sadness, but she quickly concealed her gratitude and said, "It is my mother's good fortune to receive such praise from Your Majesty."
Emperor Jinghe waved his hand and said, "Your mother has been kind to me and the Empress Dowager, so there's no need for you to say such empty words, my dear minister."
Ning Sihan composed herself and said, "Yes."
Emperor Jinghe spoke a few more words before sitting back on the dragon throne, his expression becoming even more dignified as he spoke again:
"I've heard that you have a good relationship with Compiler Xu. In your opinion, Compiler Xu is capable of great things?"
Ning Sihan's heart tightened, and she respectfully replied with her hands clasped:
"Xu Xiuzhuan's wife is my sworn sister. When I was recuperating in Qingzhou, I was fortunate to recover thanks to the help of this couple. Based on my understanding of Xu Xiuzhuan, he is a rare talent."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jinghe smiled and said, "A student who can be valued by Minister Jiang must be of good character and talent."
After saying this, he said with great regret, "I have heard that Shanmin is deeply in love with Xu Xiuzhuan. If he had not married your sworn sister, I would have had to act as a matchmaker and issue an imperial decree to grant Shanmin the marriage."
Ning Sihan's heart skipped a beat. Unsure of Emperor Jinghe's meaning, she listened quietly without making a sound.
Emperor Jinghe seemed to have had a sudden inspiration, his tone tinged with distress:
"Shanmin has been spoiled by her mother. She is twenty years old and has finally met someone she likes. If I were to bestow a marriage upon her and Xu Xiuzhuan, I wonder if Xu Xiuzhuan would accept it."
Upon hearing this, Ning Sihan's face showed a conflicted expression, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Upon seeing this, Emperor Jinghe smiled and said, "My dear minister, please speak frankly. I will forgive you."
Ning Sihan seemed to have no more worries and said earnestly:
“Xu Xiuzhuan is a devoted man. He has been married to his wife for four years and has not taken another woman. I once heard him say frankly that he only wishes to hold his wife’s hand and grow old together.”
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jinghe's expression softened unexpectedly: "It turns out that Compiler Xu is just as devoted and affectionate as his teacher."
Ning Sihan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that His Majesty's so-called bestowal of marriage was just a test, and he did not really intend to randomly arrange a marriage between Xu Jinnian and Princess Shanmin.
After leaving the Imperial Study, Ning Sihan returned to the Dali Temple to handle official business.
As night fell, he went to the Ministry of Rites warehouse and invited Xu Jinnian to have dinner together.
The food was specially ordered by him from a restaurant.
Neither of them drank alcohol during the meal.
Ning Sihan revealed to Xu Jinnian her conversation with Emperor Jinghe in the Imperial Study that morning.
Xu Jinnian cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your frank words, Brother Ning."
Ning Sihan shook her head: "To be honest, His Majesty has seen your performance in the Hanlin Academy these past few months and probably has other plans for you."
Xu Jinnian had some guesses, but it was not appropriate to say more at this time: "Thank you for your kind words, Brother Ning."
Ning Sihan glanced at him, picked up her teacup and took a sip: "It's good that you know what's going on."
To expedite the investigation, Ning Sihan assigned several officials to assist at the Ministry of Rites warehouse in the following days.
This made the process much faster, and every two days, scrolls with inconsistent answers would be found.
Ning Sihan was not idle either. Based on these red and black scrolls, she kept a close watch on the officials suspected of malpractice and interrogated them personally.
At first, these officials, clinging to a sliver of hope, stubbornly denied everything. But after several rounds of severe torture, they began to spill the beans, revealing everything they knew.
This time, several more officials who helped them commit fraud were found out, including the retired former Minister of Rites.
As more and more people were arrested, the entire capital was in a state of panic.
The previous Minister of Rites was too old and had been bedridden for many years. Whether it was due to fright or other reasons, he died in bed before he could be interrogated after being placed under guard.
However, his death did not prevent Ning Sihan from convicting him. She locked up his entire family and interrogated them one by one. Soon, she learned from his eldest son about his abuse of power and the huge benefits he had received.
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