Li Ziming and Li Jiaojiao were kneeling on the ground, trembling with fear.
It’s over!
Prefect Qin said coldly, "Bring up Li Ziming's examination paper from the provincial examination. Also bring up Li Ziming's and Li Zhiyuan's examination papers from the provincial examination."
The evidence had been prepared long ago, and immediately a yamen runner presented the three examination papers.
Prefect Qin glanced at it, and the clerk then held up Li Ziming's examination paper for the provincial examination:
"Gentlemen who have passed the imperial examinations and are now scholars, may I ask if the answers written by Li Ziming were written by you?"
After taking a closer look, the scholars, including Song, nodded in agreement: "Yes, it was written by me."
Some even included a draft, which was left behind because of typos when it was written to Li Ziming.
Prefect Qin slammed his gavel: "Now that we have both witnesses and physical evidence, the collusion between Li Zhiyuan, Li Ziming, and Li Jiaojiao is confirmed! Guards—"
"Wait!" Li Zhiyuan shouted, "It was Li Ziming and Li Jiaojiao who cheated, what does it have to do with me, Li Zhiyuan?"
Li Jiaojiao was stunned, looking at him in disbelief: "Father, you—"
Zhang Shuiniang, who was outside, was also stunned. Li Zhiyuan actually pushed all the responsibility onto her two children.
Granny Li gritted her teeth and remained silent.
Prefect Qin frowned: "Li Zhiyuan, don't try to argue."
Li Zhiyuan said indignantly, "The students are not trying to deny anything. Indeed, we have witnesses and physical evidence, but before the case is decided, can't we even say a word?"
"Besides, I'm innocent! I'm a victim too. I'm just a scholar! Don't I even have a chance to defend myself?"
Prefect Qin snorted coldly: "Then you speak."
Li Zhiyuan said urgently, "I, Li Zhiyuan, have been kept in the dark about the cheating in the imperial examination from beginning to end."
"As Song Juren and the others just mentioned, it was Li Ziming and his sister who personally consulted them. Under normal circumstances, it would be more prudent for me, as a father and a scholar, to do this kind of thing."
"How could I entrust such an important matter to two children? So I had no idea!"
"And the provincial examination was also something they, brother and sister, did themselves. What does it have to do with me, Li Zhiyuan?"
“From the moment I, Li Zhiyuan, entered the examination room, I relied solely on my own talent! I neither sought help from anyone nor used those answers, so where do you get any witnesses or physical evidence to prove that I, Li Zhiyuan, also cheated?”
Upon hearing this, people outside began to whisper among themselves, and indeed, there was some truth to it.
Prefect Qin frowned: "Someone, bring up the examination papers of Li Ziming and Li Zhiyuan and let all the candidates and those who have passed the imperial examinations take a look."
The advisor immediately did as instructed.
The final comparison revealed that although the questions in the provincial examination papers had changed, some one or two questions were roughly the same in direction as the original ones.
Li Ziming actually used some of the answers and viewpoints he had memorized to fit into some of the exam questions for the provincial examination.
He was immediately recognized; Li Ziming had also cheated in the provincial examination.
As for Li Zhiyuan, he did everything himself. He didn't try to get the answers from Li Jiaojiao and her brother.
Li Zhiyuan snorted arrogantly, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
When he discovered that the exam questions were different, he was both angry and arrogant.
He was going to take the exam based on his own abilities and talents! He refused to believe that Li Zhiyuan was really inferior to Shen Zhiyan.
Therefore, he did not use the idea of memorizing.
Li Zhiyuan continued, "Furthermore, Li Ziming is not a descendant of the Li family! He is neither my biological son nor my stepson. He is a member of the Marquis of Weiyong's household! He has absolutely no relation to me, Li Zhiyuan."
Upon hearing this, those present exchanged bewildered glances.
Li Jiaojiao stared intently at him: "You..."
Prefect Qin frowned. Why is the Marquis of Weiyuan's residence being brought up again?
He knew this Earl's mansion; it was a fallen household. So he said, "Please invite the old Earl over."
The Marquis of Weiyuan's residence was located in the prefectural city. Less than a quarter of an hour after the yamen runners left, they brought the man over.
The old man was over eighty years old, dressed in coarse cloth, looking much like an ordinary person.
Upon hearing the situation, he became anxious: "This Li Ziming is not my grandson. My grandson likes to gamble... He met the Li siblings at the casino in July."
"Li Ziming wanted a qualification to participate in the academy examination without having to pass the preliminary examination, so he gave my grandson fifty taels of silver. My grandson then agreed to let Li Ziming be included in our family genealogy as an adopted son."
“I originally refused, but my grandson was so insistent on dying... Alas, I had no choice but to agree.”
"Li Ziming has absolutely nothing to do with our family! His cheating has nothing to do with our family!"
Li Zhiyuan snorted coldly: "He's in your family now that he's in your family tree. Anyway, he has nothing to do with me, Li Zhiyuan."
Regardless of whether the Earl's Mansion acknowledges it or not, Li Ziming is a member of the Earl's Mansion and has nothing to do with Li Zhiyuan.
The old man was furious and looked at Prefect Qin anxiously, asking, "Will they impose a fine?"
Prefect Qin: "Uh... no. Someone, bring a chair and please have the old man sit down to the side."
The constables acted immediately, making the old man sit down to the side.
Li Zhiyuan continued, "So, it was Li Ziming who cheated! Li Jiaojiao assisted him. Although Li Jiaojiao is my stepdaughter, this is her personal mistake and has nothing to do with me, Li Zhiyuan."
"Just as if someone commits murder, the murderer should pay with his life or go to jail, how can the parents be held responsible?"
Li Zhiyuan's words perfectly absolved him of any responsibility.
Li Jiaojiao looked at him in disbelief.
Although she had seen through him once before, that was only when it came to trivial matters like housework. If it came to matters of principle, Li Zhiyuan would still stand in front of her.
After all, that's how it was in his past life; he even lost his life trying to save her from the brothel.
Unexpectedly, in this momentous event, he shifted all the responsibility onto his brother and sister.
Behind the screen, Ye Caiping almost laughed at Li Jiaojiao's expression.
Why did Li Zhiyuan change?
Because in his previous life, Li Zhiyuan had never been with Zhang Shuiniang.
Li Zhiyuan still has a self-pitying personality. In his eyes, she is a goddess! Someone he can never reach! He is willing to give everything for her.
Now that it's obtained, the precious moonlight has turned into a grain of rice, and naturally it's no longer so rare and valuable.
Their feelings for each other had long been worn away by the trivialities of life and the affectations of Li Jiaojiao and the other two.
Even Zhang Shuiniang was reduced to a grain of rice, let alone Li Jiaojiao and her brother.
Zhang Shuiniang shook her head: "Liar! Li Zhiyuan, you are a big liar! You said you would protect us, but now you are pushing all the responsibility onto them."
Li Zhiyuan glared at her coldly: "Was that a push? That's the truth!"
Zhang Shuiniang's expression changed drastically. She didn't know the inside story and didn't know what to say for a moment.
Granny Li said anxiously, "This was done by Li Jiaojiao! Yes, it was that little bitch Li Jiaojiao who did it, it has nothing to do with my son and grandson!"
Li Ziming is her precious grandson; nothing can happen to him.
The crowd of onlookers whispered among themselves.
Prefect Qin, sitting at the head of the table, frowned. In the current situation, the only option was to convict Li Jiaojiao and her brother, but Li Zhiyuan had indeed been exonerated.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
