Under Ongdeli's horrified gaze, Zhu Fei ordered the removal of the court cane, replacing it with a small finger clip and a long bench.
A sense of unease immediately rose in his heart.
This is?
Instruments of torture!
"General Zhu, what are you doing? A simple beating with a court rod would suffice!"
Zhu Fei looked innocent and shrugged, replying, "His Majesty personally gave the order, and it must be followed strictly according to procedure."
"Even a humble general cannot disobey, can he? Among the torture methods used by my Embroidered Uniform Guard, finger clamping and the tiger bench are core elements!"
"Young Master Weng, I apologize for the offense!"
After saying that, he gave a look to his left and right, and the Imperial Guards on both sides stepped forward and immediately began to use extreme torture.
"ah......"
Terrified screams echoed throughout every corner of the hall, and Old Man Weng, who was standing nearby, was horrified by what he saw, his old face turning ashen.
“Your Majesty, isn’t this going a bit too far for Deli? After all, these things are used to extract confessions from serious criminals.”
"A serious criminal?" Qin Yu raised an eyebrow, displeased. "Selling exam questions touches upon the very foundation of the Great Xia Dynasty. Isn't that a serious criminal or a minor criminal? Grand Scholar Weng, your son's crimes are far more numerous than you imagine!"
"Zhu Fei, continue for me!"
After half an hour of brutal torture, Weng Deli was unrecognizable, kneeling on the ground with a vacant stare and drool dripping from the corner of his mouth.
He was just muttering to himself repeatedly.
“Everyone says so, everyone says so.”
Seeing that he was already out of consciousness, Zhu Fei knew that this was the best time to force the prisoner to talk. With an unquestionable tone, he questioned him sharply.
"Speak! You must say every word, or you will be tortured again!"
These instruments of torture are meant for the most vicious criminals, but using them on this delicate young master Weng is like a devastating blow!
As expected, Ong Teck Lee confessed the whole story of how the exam questions were leaked, without hiding anything.
Weng Tonghe, who was standing nearby, was terrified and furious, but he was still thinking about how to plead for the emperor.
Zhu Fei then pressed for more information.
"You say that Huang Shiren, one of Grand Secretary Weng's subordinates, cooperated with you. But what gives him the right to cooperate with you?"
In his dazed state, Weng Deli responded instinctively.
"He dared not disobey, because on that day, I lured him to the Weng residence, got him drunk and drugged him, then raped my sister Weng Yingchun, and subsequently used this incident to blackmail him..."
"What!!!"
Weng Tonghe, who was standing to the side, was struck dumbfounded and stood there in a daze.
If these words were spoken by Zheng Bolun, who was standing next to him, his authenticity would be questioned. However, he said them himself!
These words were heard not only by him, but by everyone in the examination room.
Immediately, the once solemn examination room erupted into chaos.
No one could believe that someone in the world would do such a beastly thing!
Moreover, the person who did this was the biological son of Weng Dashi, the leader of the literary world and a moral exemplar!
Weng Tonghe could no longer remain calm. He swept his hands together and rushed forward, starting to work on his son, who was already tortured beyond recognition.
Clap clap clap!
"You beast, you wicked son!"
"That's your own sister!"
Qin Yu suppressed a laugh but stepped forward to stop him.
"Grand Secretary Weng, calm down, calm down..."
Turning his head, Weng Tonghe saw the emperor's flushed face and tears welling up in his eyes.
"Your Majesty... this old minister truly..."
He was speaking when suddenly everything went black, and he collapsed to the ground, shaking his head.
"Help! Grand Scholar Weng has fainted from anger!"
Feeling the commotion around him, Weng Deli, whose consciousness was still hazy, slowly woke up, and at the same time, he was already cursing under his breath.
I had clearly instructed those candidates who bought the test questions to make some changes and to memorize them thoroughly in advance.
And what was the result?
Who knew that this group of good-for-nothing playboys wouldn't even bother to memorize it!
idiot!
At this moment, Qin Yu coldly looked at the group of cheating candidates.
"The imperial examinations are of paramount importance to our nation. Anyone who dares to engage in favoritism or fraud shall be immediately imprisoned in the Imperial Jail!"
Turning to look at Weng Deli and Zheng Bolun, who was kneeling respectfully accepting his fate, Qin Yu couldn't help but sneer.
"As the saying goes, even the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners. These two, like those cheating candidates, should also be thrown into the imperial prison to await their fate!"
"yes!"
Zhu Fei and his men immediately sprang into action.
Despite the chaotic scene, Qin Yu felt a strange sense of joy.
Weng Tonghe, and even the entire Weng family, were an important force for Sima Lie to penetrate the literary world and infiltrate the Imperial Academy.
Now that the Weng family has been embroiled in such a huge scandal, will Weng Tonghe still have such a good reputation? Scholars and intellectuals will certainly no longer respect him as their leader!
More importantly, the Buren Tower sold exam questions and made a huge amount of money. It would be perfect to first throw all these people into the prison and then fill their own pockets after things calmed down!
Moreover, Qin Yu looked cruelly at the cheating candidates who were crying and begging for forgiveness, and he already had an idea.
Those who can afford to buy exam questions must come from wealthy families or corrupt officials.
When it comes to cheating, although the charges are serious, the actual crimes are difficult to determine. After all, they are not the masterminds. The punishment can range from execution to education and release. It all depends on the emperor's will.
Now there's a lot of room for maneuver. These second-generation princes aren't short of money, so it's reasonable for each family to pay 50,000 taels of silver to release them!
That will be a huge sum of money!
As he smirked, Song Zhenglian, standing beside him, spoke up to offer advice.
"Your Majesty! The imperial examination is a grand national event. Even if a few flies spoil the whole thing, it cannot be easily stopped!"
Qin Yu felt that what was said made sense and nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, most of the candidates are innocent. They have been preparing for the exam for so long, and it would be unfair to them to stop abruptly."
After a moment's thought, Qin Yu patted him on the shoulder trustingly.
"In that case, let Minister Song be in charge of changing the exam questions."
"Grand Secretary Weng has fainted. The imperial examination cannot be conducted without an examiner, so you will temporarily take charge."
The two exchanged a glance, clearly having reached a tacit understanding. Song Zhenglian felt the warmth in the emperor's hands and felt somewhat dazed.
Just a few days ago, he was a frustrated and unfulfilled minor official at the Imperial Academy.
And now, he has actually taken up the high position of chief examiner of the scientific expedition.
Such a rapid pace of change is unheard of; it all feels like a dream!
Song Zhenglian knew that all of this was due to his own ambitions and efforts, but the most important reason was the emperor in front of him who made people feel terrified!
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace!"
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