Chapter 424 Sixth Prince, You Must Not Sleep...
In Fengjing, at noon, the sun was scorching, yet it had a hint of the dryness of the White Dew season.
The atmosphere in front of the vermilion lacquered gate of the Imperial Examination Hall was solemn and auspicious.
A large group of imperial guards, armed with spears and wearing distinctive armor, had already cleared a large area of the street and stopped the people who were rushing in from all directions after hearing the news.
In the center of the field, several important officials of the imperial court were present.
Prime Minister Pei Xuanyun was dressed in court robes and a jade belt around his waist. He looked solemn and awe-inspiring without even being angry.
Beside him stood the three supervisors of the Department of Criminal Justice, the Department of Civil Affairs, and the Department of Ceremonies, all with stern expressions.
This scene can be said to be half of the high position in the imperial court.
The crowd couldn't help whispering, realizing that something earth-shattering was about to happen.
Pan Yue, a captain of the Xuanji Guard, was like an iron tower, standing half a step behind Pei Xuanyun, his eyes scanning the surroundings like an eagle for any slight movement.
The two ministers who assist the country are crucial to the current precarious situation of Dagan.
General Meng Guang can command the troops to garrison one area, but the safety of the civil official leader Pei Xiang depends on him and he cannot afford to make any mistakes.
"quiet!"
A general of the imperial guards took a deep breath and his loud voice instantly drowned out the noise on the street.
The crowd gradually quieted down, and all eyes were focused on those important officials who were rarely seen in normal times.
The Chief Justice took a deep breath, stepped forward, and spoke loudly, allowing his voice to be clearly heard throughout the room:
“After a thorough investigation by our department and the Xuanji Guards, we have now confirmed the truth.
The case of replacing the examination papers in the Jiangnan Provincial Examination was caused by the cheating under the orders of Shen Yuanzhang, the owner of the Qingjianzhai Bookstore!
He paused briefly to let the people digest the news, then suddenly raised his voice again:
"It has now been determined that Shen Yuanzhang's true identity is the intelligence chief planted in Fengjing by the four great families of Wang, Cui, Feng, and Li. He has now been apprehended!
He committed this despicable act with the intention of disrupting the imperial examination system and shaking the foundation of the country.
It destroys the foundation of our culture and morality, and cuts off the path to advancement for students all over the world.
His heart is worthy of death, and his crime is unforgivable!"
When the people heard this, they were immediately in an uproar, with exclamations and curses everywhere.
The imperial examination was the hope of countless people to change their destiny, but it was tarnished in this way. How can we not be outraged?
However, this was not the end. The Chief Justice continued:
“Even worse!
These four aristocratic families have such wicked ambitions that they dared to send elite assassins to infiltrate the Imperial Palace with the intention of assassinating Your Majesty and the other heirs. They have committed the unforgivable crime of treason!"
As he spoke, a group of soldiers carried more than ten corpses covered with white cloth out from the tribute hall and placed them on the open space.
The white cloth was stained with dark blood, silently telling the story of the thrilling events that had occurred before.
Boom! The crowd went into a complete frenzy.
Assassinating the emperor and the princes and princesses? This is a heinous crime!
So how did the assassination go? Was anyone injured, or even...
Feelings of anger and fear quickly spread among the crowd.
At this time, the Chief Justice of the Criminal Department took out a bright yellow imperial edict and slowly unfolded it in front of everyone.
When the people saw this, they knelt on the ground like a tide and shouted "Long live the emperor".
"By the will of Heaven, the Phoenix Palace proclaims:
The four major families, Wang, Cui, Feng and Li, have received the country's grace for generations, but they do not know how to repay it and instead have rebellious hearts.
His first crime was colluding with scoundrels to sabotage the imperial examinations and undermine the foundation of the country.
His second crime was sending assassins into the palace to assassinate me and the imperial heir.
The evidence is conclusive, it is indeed the unforgivable crime of treason!
Immediately, all titles and honors will be stripped away, and the main branches of the four major families will be treated as treasonous and severely punished!
So ordered! "
The content of the imperial edict was like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of everyone who heard it.
Treason is a serious crime that will result in the execution of nine generations of your family!
Next, the great Prime Minister Pei Xuanyun stepped forward.
"Also, after this Minister's personal review, the copied answer sheet of candidate Chen Yu, which was displayed outside the Imperial Examination Hall after the results of the provincial examination were posted, was indeed written by him and the contents were true and correct.
I have personally examined his talent and knowledge, and it is indeed consistent with the level of his answers.
Therefore, all rankings for this Jiangnan Provincial Examination will remain unchanged!"
With the prime minister of the time personally guaranteeing the case, the matter was finally settled.
But compared with the shocking case of rebellion and regicide by the four great families, the imperial examination cheating scandal now seems insignificant.
The gate of the Imperial Examination Hall slowly opened at this time, and the examiners who were temporarily detained for investigation walked out with pale faces and unsteady steps.
The Zhongchendao women's provincial examination came to an end.
…
Imperial study.
Qin Zhaoyue still maintained that awkward posture.
Sitting on the embroidered stool, with her upper body leaning on the edge of the dragon couch, one hand was always pressed on the heart of the unconscious Qin Minghuang.
Eunuch Su Quan stood by her side, his eyes wide open, staring at her intently, as if he was afraid that she would fall asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.
At this moment, the bored Qin Zhaoyue suddenly realized a very serious problem.
She raised her head suddenly, her face full of despair:
“No, wait!
I can't stay awake all the time. What if I fall asleep?
Elder Xue, can your cultivation at the Second Stage completely suppress the vitality within the Queen Mother's body and prevent it from dissipating?"
Mr. Xue pondered for a moment and slowly shook his head:
"Based on my perception when I took over, the second-grade 'domain' may be able to greatly slow down the loss of vitality.
But if you want to lock it up almost completely like Your Highness... I'm afraid it's difficult to do."
Damn it! Qin Zhaoyue cursed inwardly, what should I do?
At this moment, Jiang Wuya, who was trying to reduce his presence, couldn't help but interrupt:
"Junior Sister, you can rest assured about this. The spiritual power of a strong person in the Divine Martial Realm far exceeds that of ordinary people.
Not to mention a few days, even ten days or half a month without sleep is not a big deal at all."
"Thank you so much, senior brother." Qin Zhaoyue replied unhappily.
"Hey, what's the big deal? We are brothers and sisters, so why should we be so polite?
Brother, I will tell you everything I know, and I will tell you everything I know!"
Jiang Wuya didn't hear the disgust in the words at all. Instead, he puffed out his chest and looked proud.
Qin Zhaoyue rolled his eyes at him. This guy actually thought he was praising him.
"I can choose not to sleep, but won't I feel sleepy? Won't I feel tired?" She asked with the last glimmer of hope.
"Well..." Jiang Wuya scratched his head.
"Junior Sister, you have just entered the Divine Martial Realm, and it seems that you have not seriously practiced meditation and concentration. You may feel a little sleepy."
Swish, swish, swish!
In the imperial study, several eyes were instantly focused on Qin Zhaoyue.
Especially the third princess, the fourth princess and the fifth prince who were sitting in front of the imperial desk. They were learning how to govern the country based on the memorials sent by Prime Minister Pei for his approval.
Even the three little ones who were sitting obediently on the soft couch accompanying their mother looked at her worriedly with their round eyes.
Everyone's eyes were filled with the same worry.
Everyone knows that one of the biggest characteristics of their sixth sister's life is sleepiness.
She once created a "glorious" record by falling asleep while standing during the solemn morning court session!
"Sixth sister, you..."
The third princess, Qin Zhaowan, put down the red brush in her hand. She couldn't help but speak with a worried tone.
Qin Zhaoyue was speechless. "What are you all looking at me with? I'll try...try not to fall asleep, okay?"
Try your best? That's not enough. I need to stay awake all the time.
It would have been fine if he hadn't explained it, but with this explanation... the worry in everyone's eyes was even greater than before.
But it seems that it won't be a problem for the time being.
Eunuch Su Quan quietly clenched his fists.
He was actually the first one to realize this fatal problem, so he was extremely alert and kept a close eye on it.
Sixth Prince, you must not sleep...
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