Chapter 88: The Emperor Inspects the Examination Papers, Showing Compassion and Legal Principles...
"Hmm?" Emperor Cheng Tai leaned closer to take a look; the name did look familiar.
"Zhang, Ting." She chewed on the words carefully for a while before suddenly remembering that a few days ago, Han Bingyue had reported a case of false accusation and wrongful conviction.
Zhang Ting is one of the main characters.
The remaining false accuser, whose name I can't recall, was reported by his subordinates to have died from the caning.
As for the Ministry of Revenue official who failed to properly educate his daughter, he was also impeached by the censor and is now suspended from his post at home to reflect on his actions.
Emperor Chengtai rested one hand on his desk, his dragon robe's wide sleeves revealing his wrinkled, withered hand. He murmured softly, "She's actually the top scholar in the imperial examinations. No wonder she was framed." She chuckled softly, finding it rather amusing.
Laughter echoed through the spacious and imposing building. The Minister of Rites, his eyelids drooping, secretly pondered the status of this young scholar in His Majesty's heart.
Is it worth trying to win over a poor girl from a humble background?
"Bring me the scroll; I wish to examine it carefully."
"yes."
The head steward, Xu Qiu, beamed with joy and said, "Your Excellency is old; I will send a few maids to the Ministry of Rites to deliver the message."
The Minister of Rites lifted his eyelids and stared at her intently for a long time without saying anything. "Then I'll trouble you, Eunuch Xu," he said, lowering his head again.
Emperor Chengtai's mood improved, and he placed his hands on the dragon throne, showing rare consideration for his old minister: "Xu Qiu, why are you just standing here? Hurry up and offer Lord Ning a seat."
"Oh dear! This silly maid has such poor eyesight!" Xu Qiu gave herself a couple of slaps, then smiled and personally brought Ning Yuanzhi a small stool.
"Lord Ning, please!"
Emperor Chengtai watched Xu Qiu fiddling with things with a smile, then pointed at her with his finger, saying, "You're just as senile as I am."
Xu Qiu forced a fawning smile onto her round face. "This old servant is a lowly creature, how dare I compare my foolishness to Your Majesty's brain?"
Emperor Chengtai leaned back on his throne, his eyes half-closed, and was delighted by the pat.
Ning Yuanzhi bowed to the emperor and said, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty." He then said to Xu Qiu, "Thank you for your trouble." Only then did he lift his robe and slowly sit down.
Taking advantage of this break, Ning Yuanzhi seized the opportunity to report to Emperor Chengtai on the affairs of the Ministry of Rites in recent days, as well as the arrangements for the upcoming palace examination.
The atmosphere between the emperor and his ministers was relaxed and relatively harmonious.
Before long, the examination paper was retrieved.
Ning Yuanzhi bowed slightly, sat at the lower end of the table, and remained silent with her eyes down.
Emperor Chengtai took the exam paper and immediately went to read the opening essay question. After reading only a short paragraph, he exclaimed in surprise, "Wow!" The way he approached the question was truly ingenious!
She lifted her eyelids, raised her head, and teased, "Lord Ning, whose noble lady is Zhang Ting?" But there was a hint of danger in her eyes.
Don't think she was unaware of the purpose behind the examination questions set by the Ministry of Rites this year.
The excuses they use are all so appealing, like "opening up channels for free speech"—but it's clearly just a bunch of aristocratic officials forming cliques to expand their power, and now they're even trying to rival her!
“Your Majesty, this woman comes from a humble background.” Ning Yuanzhi also disliked Zhang Ting for this reason, as she had taken the title of top scholar for nothing, depriving the aristocratic families of the opportunity to support a new literary leader.
The top scholar in the imperial examinations has always been highly respected and holds an extremely high position in literary circles, commanding widespread influence.
But ironically, this woman's exam paper was truly exceptional! The gap between her and the second and third place candidates was almost enormous. Fearing that Han Bingyue might sow discord before the Emperor, she ultimately appointed Zhang Ting as the top scholar.
"Oh?" Emperor Chengtai stroked his chin, frowned, and turned his gaze back to the exam paper. He read it line by line, sometimes relaxing his brows, sometimes nodding with a smile, sometimes furrowing his brows... This repeated itself, and the hall was completely silent, with only the occasional sound of pages turning.
Half an hour later, Emperor Chengtai finally finished reading the document.
She smiled and put down the examination paper, her eyes filled with admiration, which was like a gentle stream flowing through them. She was amazed and delighted by the woman's talent.
Such a tricky question, many talented noble ladies couldn't even solve it, but Zhang Ting, who came from a humble background, answered it so beautifully.
Emperor Chengtai suddenly burst out laughing, "Minister Ning, it seems you've tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice instead."
What she wanted was a minister who came from a humble background but possessed exceptional talent. Moreover, judging from Zhang Ting's writing, his choice of words and sentence structure revealed a deep understanding of strategy, which could help her suppress the powerful clans!
Ning Yuanzhi slowly rose and knelt in the center of the hall, speaking earnestly: "Your Majesty, I have chosen talents without any selfish motives. Whether they come from humble backgrounds or noble families, they are all important ministers of the country."
"There is no such thing as the Ministry of Rites trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead. The Ministry of Rites is a vital instrument of the country and a pillar of His Majesty. If there is any selfishness involved, it is a selfishness that is wholeheartedly for His Majesty and for the country."
Emperor Chengtai found her demeanor most annoying, but Ning Yuanzhi's foundation was much more stable than Zong Xuanyue's, and she was also cunning and shrewd. Her actions were still within her tolerance range.
"Get out! Get out!" she waved her hand impatiently, fed up with the old bastard's nonsense.
Ning Yuanzhi bowed respectfully again, saying, "May Your Majesty be well," before slowly withdrawing.
Her back was to the main hall, her shoulders ramrod straight, her gaze resolute. His Majesty had become increasingly incompetent in recent years, appointing treacherous officials and unjustly killing loyal ministers. These aristocratic families needed to unite more closely, forming an unstoppable force, to contend with imperial power and better govern the country!
Inside the palace, Emperor Chengtai admired the Huiyuan scroll once more before ordering Xu Qiu to frame it and hang it on a side wall.
Having taken the imperial examinations more than twenty times, this was the most brilliant answer I had ever seen. It was logically sound, with each point linked to the next, and many parts were truly amazing!
What's even more remarkable is that his analysis of current affairs is precise and ruthless, demonstrating his mature and strategic thinking.
"Xu Qiu, make a copy of this plan and have the cabinet discuss and implement it."
Emperor Chengtai stood with his hands behind his back, repeatedly admiring the examination paper, unable to get enough of it, and his mood became extremely good.
She also had a son who was recently widowed; he was delicate and beautiful, and had a great love for poetry and literature.
During the palace examination, she wanted to take a good look at Zhang Ting's appearance. If he was well-mannered, she would let him marry the princess.
...
The main house of the Zhang residence.
The spring chill lingered, but a small brazier of charcoal burned warmly inside.
Zong Suyi entered the room, took off his outer robe and casually draped it over the rack, glancing at the person sitting on the couch. "Even before the results of this provincial examination have been released, the candidates outside are already rushing to pay their respects to you." If we wait until the results of the spring examination are released, won't the invitations to pay their respects pile up like a mountain?
He said with distress, "We might still be colleagues in the future, so it's not right to refuse, but accepting too much is also too much."
Most of these were candidates who had wronged her in the examination hall and felt guilty towards her. They wanted to see her before the results of the provincial examination were announced.
"I'm not busy these days, so I'll just stay home and meet people instead of going out."
The servant behind him brought a basin of warm water for Zong Suyi to wash his hands.
He lowered his eyelids and rubbed them a few times, his eyelashes fluttering, and muttered softly, "Not busy, doesn't know how to keep me company..." What's so good about those stinky women?
Zong Suyi spoke very softly, and Zhang Ting only saw his lips move slightly. She raised an eyebrow, put down her book, and asked, "Xiaoyi, what did you say?" She had a feeling that it wasn't anything good.
He wiped the water off his hands with a cotton towel. Knowing that his wife often associated with candidates, which would broaden her career network and be of great benefit to her in the future, he dared not be too presumptuous in front of her.
Zong Suyi frowned slightly, her eyes like rippling autumn water, her expression carrying a hint of sorrow, making her even more pitiful.
He walked up to Zhang Ting, bent down and snuggled into her arms, poked her chest with his finger, and said jealously, "My wife has been free these days, but she hasn't spent more time with me."
"Didn't you spend enough time with me tonight?" Zhang Ting pinched his fair cheek and laughed.
Zong Suyi blushed as she thought of the embarrassing things that had happened the past few nights, but stubbornly insisted, "Not enough." Her fingers unconsciously traced circles on her chest.
Suddenly remembering something, her beautiful eyes flashed with a mixture of reproach and shyness as she murmured, "Don't you dare stick talismans on me anymore." She even stuck talismans all over his body during their intimate moments, claiming it was to 'let him absorb some literary energy'! Shameless!
"Then you mustn't scare your wife like that again." Zhang Ting chuckled, took his hand in hers, and pulled him closer to her.
This made Zong Suyi feel extremely guilty, and he buried his head in her arms. He only thought that sticking the talisman on the curtain would be most effective, but he didn't expect it to frighten her...
"Okay," he replied obediently.
Zhang Ting casually pinched his waist and smiled with satisfaction; at least he wasn't as thin as he had been a few days ago.
Zong Suyi's waist was the most sensitive part, and the tickling made his spine shudder. He subconsciously straightened his back, laughed twice, slapped her hand away, and said, "Don't touch me like that."
Once the itching subsided, he straightened Zhang Ting's head with a serious expression, pinched her cheek, and questioned, "Did that official from the Ministry of Revenue come to cause you trouble yesterday?"
Zhang Ting, letting him cause trouble, mumbled a reply: "She came to apologize to me, and she brought Xu You with her."
Zong Suyi stopped what she was doing, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Is Xu Shan really that sensible?"
“Xu Lan reaped what he sowed, not because of me. Xu Shan was just a minor official in the Ministry of Revenue, she didn’t have the power to cover up everything. Besides, according to outside news, His Majesty ordered her to be suspended from her duties and reflect on her actions. Coming to apologize to me is also a way of showing His Majesty her attitude and thus keeping her official position.”
Upon hearing the word "Your Majesty," Zong Suyi's heart skipped a beat, and a deep hatred surfaced in his eyes, like a poisoned blade. He then forced himself to remain calm and lowered his head, afraid that his wife would notice something amiss. "This Xu Shan certainly knows how to protect her reputation."
His fingertips, hidden deep within his sleeves, pressed against his palms. He suppressed his overwhelming resentment and deliberately changed the subject, asking, "So, what did Xu You say when he arrived?"
Zhang Ting was staring at the roof and didn't notice anything unusual about her husband. She casually replied, "Xu You didn't say anything." She patted his shoulder and said, "It's fine if we go our separate ways like this. My husband doesn't need to worry."
"Too."
When this matter was mentioned, Zhang Ting couldn't help but think of another person: "The examinee who conspired with Xu Lan to frame me did indeed have an elderly mother who was seriously ill and needed to be cared for. He was sentenced to be stripped of his academic honors, flogged forty times, and had his family property confiscated."
She wasn't surprised by the legal and moral implications. What surprised her was that this scholar had indeed followed Xu Lan's orders for money because his mother was seriously ill, and Xu Lan had even promised to give her a large sum of money after the matter was completed.
Therefore, he falsely accused himself of harboring a criminal in court.
Zhang Ting was somewhat puzzled. In this world where "all other pursuits are inferior, only studying is superior," were there really children who were willing to give up fame and fortune and even ruin their reputation for their parents?
Conversely, could her parents do the same?
Zong Suyi suppressed his resentment, feeling that the sentence was too lenient, and said indignantly, "Forty strokes of the cane is too lenient on her."
If it weren't for my wife's exceptional intelligence, I would have had no chance of survival after being framed by them.
Zhang Ting's heart softened. The soft light that streamed through her lowered eyelashes was like bright moonlight. She stroked his smooth black hair and gently kissed it.
"It's alright."
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