Chapter 243 The Situation Has Turned Around
Meanwhile, on the other side, Su Xuan held a glass of wine in his hand, his eyes filled with gloom.
Looking at Su Xuan like this, Li Cheng felt a chill run down his spine. Anyone who dared to offend the Su family would be made to wish they were dead by Su Xuan. From a young age, Su Xuan had been a vengeful and ambitious person.
Su Xuan said, "Brother Li is doing very well in Shengjing, unlike me on the frontier where I'm just covered in yellow sand."
Li Cheng said, "I envy Brother Su. At least in the border region, the emperor is far away, and you are not restricted. You can do whatever you want. Unlike me, I've been staying in the military camp, neither advancing nor retreating, just getting by."
In fact, Li Cheng's starting point was higher than Su Xuan's. If he had worked harder, he would have been a general at least. But he was only a deputy captain. Minister Li was too conservative in giving his son the position. He knew his son's character and was afraid that if he climbed too high, he would not be able to control himself.
Su Xuan nodded. He wouldn't come to the temple without a reason. "Brother Li, don't you want to go higher and further? With your talent, you should be training troops and fighting. What's the point of holding onto the title of deputy captain and dealing with weapons every day? Unlike others, who only went to the battlefield once and got a marquis title. In the future, they will be promoted to marquis and prime minister."
Li Cheng naturally knew who he was talking about, and just smiled, "It's a pity my family doesn't have such a beautiful younger sister! I don't expect to become a high-ranking official or a nobleman. I'm fine as I am now, not the best, but not the worst either." His father had warned him not to provoke the Jiang family again.
Sure enough, Xie Shang was made crown prince, and Jiang Fenghua became crown princess. Their future status will be even higher. Who would dare to provoke them? His father was truly farsighted.
"Actually, Uncle Li's role in mobilizing troops behind the scenes is also indispensable. The Emperor only sees those in front of him, but he can't see the hard work and effort behind the scenes. Why should all the credit go to Jiang Jinyan? My Su family also served the Crown Prince diligently, but we couldn't compete with his sister's whispers in the Crown Prince's ear. It's really frustrating to think about." Su Xuan knew how to sow discord.
"This great victory over the Hu tribe, Brother Su was also appointed Red Tiger General by His Majesty, a third-rank official, which is not bad. Uncle Su received a first-class merit, and the Su family is also full of glory." Li Cheng is not stupid, and he will not be led by the nose by Su Xuan.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, Su Xuan said, "Soon the Jiang family's wealth will be diminished, Brother Li, do you believe it or not?"
"I don't believe it," Li Cheng said. He had already witnessed Jiang Fenghua's methods, and the thought of Ji Chen's death sent chills down his spine.
Ji Chen set fire to the Zhang family's house and then framed Madam Zhang the Second. Madam Zhang the Second, in order to marry her daughter into the Su family as a general's wife, took the initiative to admit that she set the fire. She knew that the Su family was behind Ji Chen, and these ideas could naturally have been given to Ji Chen by the Su family. What a perfect plan! In the end, Ji Chen died at the hands of Jiang Fenghua.
When Ji Chen came to him, he wanted to see Jiang Fenghua's fate, but he never expected to see his own head severed from its place. Naturally, he wouldn't tell Su Xuan these things; he knew it himself.
"Are you that afraid of the Jiang family? Back then, Jiang Jinyan stole your fiancée, and you just let him do it like that?" Su Xuan said sarcastically. "Brother Li is really magnanimous. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to swallow this insult."
"So what if we can't swallow it? Didn't Brother Su say that he's now the Marquis of Wu'an? We can't compare to him. We'd better be honest to save our lives." Actually, he was also very unhappy because being jilted by Zhang Yumo was still a joke in the noble circles of Shengjing City.
Jiang Jinyan's rise in rank proves that Zhang Yumo married someone better than him, which has dealt a blow to his pride as a man.
People won't talk about Zhang Yumo breaking off her engagement, but they'll talk about how lucky she was not to marry Li Cheng. Compared to Li Cheng, Li Cheng is definitely not as good as Jiang Jinyan.
Li Cheng concealed his emotions. On the night of the Lantern Festival, he saw Jiang Jinyan and Zhang Yumo walking hand in hand on the street. The two were inseparable and deeply in love, as if the fireworks of the entire Shengjing City were blooming just for them.
He was so angry he wanted to grind his teeth. Zhang Yumo wasn't particularly pretty; she was just okay, not as good-looking as Jiang Fenghua.
Su Xuan was very good at reading people. Official positions didn't attract Li Cheng, but the mention of women made him lose himself in thought. Did he really like Zhang Yumo that much?
Li Cheng was in a daze, his eyes fixed on the students downstairs.
Su Xuan said, “It’s quite lively down there. They heard that someone cheated in the imperial examination, so these students started making a fuss. For those without connections, the imperial examination is the only way to change their fate. They study hard for ten years, all for this day.”
Li Cheng said, "If someone without connections passes the exam, they're just a salted fish on someone else's chopping board, aren't they?" He still doesn't know that the person sitting across from him is the instigator of this farce.
One is the son of Minister Li, and the other is the son of General Su. Both of them were born with silver spoons in their mouths. They didn't need to fight tooth and nail for exams; their families could arrange good positions for them. If they made meritorious contributions and achieved results, they would be promoted. Just like Jiang Jinyan now, he didn't take exams, but with the support of the Crown Prince, he still managed to thrive.
In other words, they enter the workforce to gain prestige, and they are very likely to take over their fathers' businesses in the future.
Su Xuan laughed, "I like what you said, Brother Li. If I help you turn Jiang Jinyan into a salted fish on the chopping board, you must remember my kindness."
"What do you mean?" Li Cheng asked, puzzled.
Su Xuan smiled without saying a word. The students downstairs were all waiting for the results to come out in the capital, and he was waiting too.
I wonder if the Jiang siblings like the play he designed for Jiang Huai.
He applauded his perfect plan. Jiang Fenghua would pay the price for her foolish act of provoking him sooner or later. His only regret was that he couldn't see Jiang Fenghua's shocked and terrified face right now.
His scheme wasn't ready to be closed until he caught a big fish; the real key was for the Jiang family to incite public outrage, but he would never get to see that happen.
Just then, Su Xuan's spies also relayed the news from the palace to Su Xuan. It has now been confirmed that Jiang Huai did not meet with Wang Qing, and there was no buying or selling of exam questions. Wang Qing may be interrogated.
Upon hearing this, Su Xuan suddenly stood up from his seat.
"Brother Su, what's wrong?" Li Cheng asked.
Su Xuan's expression changed instantly. His eyes were icy cold, like a layer of bone-chilling frost on the coldest winter day, chilling people to the bone. The evidence was conclusive and he could still clear his name.
At this moment, the gates of the imperial city opened, and Grand Tutor Pan and officials from the Ministry of Rites came out. It is unclear what news he announced to the students, but the students began to whisper among themselves.
Among the crowd were some troublemakers, but when they heard that the emperor was going to personally summon them to test their knowledge, they dared not move.
Grand Tutor Pan also announced that, in order to ensure fairness, in addition to the students who passed the exam being required to go in and meet the Emperor, those who did not pass could also voluntarily participate. It was entirely voluntary, and the opportunity was given. If they felt they had not performed well in the exam, they would have a chance to meet the Emperor, which was an opportunity they could only dream of. If the Emperor took a liking to them, it was not impossible for them to be promoted directly.
The city gates were bustling with noise. They were like young women being selected for the imperial concubine selection, and a good performance at the last minute could make all the difference.
Now, who would cause trouble like this? Everyone raised their hands in approval. People with real talent and learning are not afraid of the emperor's examination. Just consider it as everyone participating in another palace examination and being able to see the emperor.
If anyone still insists on pursuing Wang Qing for cheating at this point, it's considered deliberate provocation, and they should be arrested and interrogated severely.
Su Xuan watched the students entering the palace one after another, his brows furrowed, feeling indescribably distressed.
Just then, someone else came to report, "Reporting to the general, a group of people from the Wang family have taken away the real Wang Qing, and Master Wang has also been taken away."
Upon hearing this, Su Xuan's eyes turned cold and deep. "I understand."
He clenched his fist and smashed the wine glass on the table to pieces. "I just don't believe Jiang Fenghua is that lucky."
Li Cheng's mind worked quickly. Could Su Xuan's anger be related to the "commotion" outside the capital?
Li Cheng had no intention of getting involved in this mess. "I have military affairs to attend to, so I won't keep Brother Su company."
After saying that, he lifted his robe and left.
Su Xuan was even angrier when he saw him leave. Who did Li Cheng think he was, so timid and cowardly? No wonder he could only be a minor deputy captain.
Su Xuan didn't expect that Wang Qing would also be exposed. He hadn't directly contacted the Wang family back then, but rather a martial arts figure known as the Thousand-Faced Gentleman.
The imposter Wang Qing is the Thousand-Faced Gentleman, a man who survives in the martial arts world with unique skills. He is expensive and has also signed a life-or-death contract. If he fails the mission, even if he dies, he cannot reveal the mastermind behind it. That is why Su Xuan is so fearless.
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