Leng Yu pointed at the people queuing at the stairs.
"There are so many people, and we won't be able to queue up even after dark. Let's not waste time here."
"Oh well!"
Luo Lan nodded and followed him to the door.
When the waiter saw them leaving, he approached them and asked,
"Everyone, have you finished your business? Why are you leaving so soon?"
Leng Yu waved her hands impatiently.
"There are too many people, come back when there are fewer people."
The waiter rolled his eyes and couldn't help but remind him,
"It's too late when there are few people. Tomorrow is the last day. If you don't act now, there will be no chance. If you really want to meet earlier, there is no way."
When he said this, the waiter rubbed his fingers together, and Leng Yu understood what he meant.
He immediately winked at Ayu, who took out a piece of silver from his pocket.
"Then please be flexible. Our Master doesn't want to wait too long."
The waiter weighed the silver in his hand and nodded happily, "Okay, sir, please follow me."
Leng Yu winked at A Yu directly.
"Go up, we'll be waiting for you down below."
He really disdained to talk to such an unsightly person.
Ayu nodded in understanding and followed the waiter to the back door.
It turned out that this teahouse had a back door that led directly to the upstairs. As long as one gave the waiter a bribe, he could lead people through the back door.
It seems that no matter when, if you want to get things done, using the back door is a tried and true method!
After a while, Ayu came back quickly.
He came to Leng Yu and whispered:
"I asked him, and he said he was the head of the Ministry of Rites. However, he said that although his position was low, he had someone above him to protect him. When I asked him more, he was unwilling to say more. I paid him ten taels of silver, and he left."
The head of the Ministry of Rites?
An eighth-rank cultivator dared to open such an opening? Obviously, it was impossible.
So who is the big man behind him?
Leng Yu breathed a sigh of relief, put one hand behind his back, and walked out of Desheng Tea House.
Walking on the road, Luo Lan followed his footsteps and asked softly:
"Shall we return to the palace?"
"No, let's go to Prince Ming's Mansion."
Luo Lan looked at the sky. It was almost dusk. He guessed that Leng Ming had already returned to Prince Ming's Mansion. Did Leng Yu want to go and question him?
She reminded with some concern,
"He hasn't been at the Ministry of Rites for long. You can't blame him alone for this."
"You want to protect him again?"
"I'm not covering up for them. I'm telling the truth. Leng Ming and Luo Xue's relationship has just eased, and I don't want to make them unhappy because of these things."
Leng Yu walked while looking at her sideways.
"Okay, for Lan'er's sake, I can let him off the hook. But I have to tell him about this in person. Tomorrow I have to let him go to the various tea houses and investigate."
After hearing him say this, Luo Lan finally breathed a sigh of relief. She was mainly worried about Luo Xue. Luo Xue originally felt that Leng Ming had been working hard and her relationship with him had eased a lot. If Leng Yu punished him for this, Luo Xue would definitely not be able to bear it.
When they arrived at Prince Ming's Mansion, Leng Ming and Luo Xue were having dinner with Duoduo. When they saw the two of them come in, they hurriedly asked the servants to add a set of bowls and chopsticks.
Perhaps influenced by Luo Lan, Leng Yu never thought how noble he, the emperor, was, so he picked up the chopsticks without hesitation and started eating with Leng Ming's family.
Naturally, these unhappy things could not be mentioned at the dinner table. It was not until after the meal that Luo Xue asked the servants to take Duoduo to bed, and the four of them came to the main hall of Prince Ming's Mansion.
Leng Yu's expression became tense at this moment. He looked at Leng Ming and asked coldly:
"You are asked to supervise the imperial examinations. How are you doing?"
Leng Yu immediately patted his chest and promised,
"Everything is normal. I went to the Ministry of Rites yesterday to inquire about it. There are about 300 scholars who have registered for the exam this time. This is the largest number of candidates in history."
"I mean, will there be any cheating in this scientific expedition?"
"No, absolutely not. Anyone who dares to do this under my nose will die."
Seeing his confidence, Leng Yu glanced at Luo Lan and then chuckled:
"Then have you secretly investigated various teahouses and restaurants? Since ancient times, cheating has occurred in the imperial examinations to varying degrees. Are you sure there is no such thing in this world?"
After his questioning, Leng Ming was stunned for a moment.
He had indeed not investigated it personally, and he learned the information from the officials below him.
However, he still replied anxiously:
"Should... shouldn't happen. I've already issued an order long ago: anyone who dares to tamper with the imperial examination will have his official hat removed and have to go to the Ministry of Justice for trial."
Seeing that Leng Ming was still so confident despite Leng Yu's direct reminder, Luo Lan couldn't help but say:
"Leng Ming, you should go out incognito when you have time. The emperor and I went to a teahouse today, and what we heard was very different from what you said."
Leng Ming was most afraid of something going wrong at this critical moment. Luo Lan's words made him look at her in panic.
"Sister-in-law, what's the difference? What did you see?"
Leng Yu slammed the table heavily and shouted angrily:
"We saw someone openly accepting money from candidates and spreading the word that whoever paid the most money would be on the list. They also said that the prince was taking the imperial examination and those who didn't pay wouldn't even be on the list of Jinshi. Are you completely unaware of all this?"
Leng Ming's face turned pale at this moment. He immediately stood up and clasped his fists towards Leng Yu and said:
"Your Majesty, rest assured. Tomorrow morning, I will investigate this matter thoroughly."
Leng Yu waved his hand directly.
"By the time you go to investigate, the person will have already fled. Tomorrow at 11:00 PM, bring your officers and go straight to Shengde Tea House. Then you will realize how false your claim that there was no fraud was."
Leng Ming was stunned for a moment. The emperor entrusted him with such an important task as supervising the imperial examination. He originally thought that everything was normal. If someone really dared to accept money from the candidates privately, where would he put his face?
Thinking of this, he solemnly clasped his fists and replied,
"I understand. If such a thing really happens, I am willing to accept the punishment."
Leng Yu frowned and stood up, waving at him.
"Forget it. On the way here, Lan'er kept pleading for you. I don't want to hold you responsible, but you must make sure these examinees understand that I will personally review every one of their test papers. There will be no such thing as someone using a backdoor. Tomorrow, I will wipe out Desheng Tea House. This credit goes to you..."
Leaving these words behind, he put one hand behind his back and said to Luo Lan:
"It's getting late, let's go back."
Luo Lan nodded, turned around to say goodbye to Luo Xue, and followed him out of Prince Ming's Mansion.
Instead of getting on the carriage, they walked hand in hand on the street towards the capital.
…
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