Chapter 48
The two had not been in Zheng Wanyun's house for a while when they suddenly heard a noise outside.
The emperor is here, who dares to be so presumptuous?
He frowned slightly: "What's going on?"
After Wang Bao met the Eagle Guard who came to deliver the message, he lowered his head and walked in.
"Your Majesty, there was an incident in the examination room."
When he said this, his voice became a little softer, and he lowered his head and did not dare to look at Emperor Wu who was sitting above him.
For a moment, Xiao Huan thought he had heard wrongly.
Something happened in the exam room?
How could something go wrong in the examination room?
The examination room will be sealed on the day students finish their exams, and the invigilators will mark the papers on the spot. The examination room will not be opened until the results are released three days later. What is going on now?
Feeling His Majesty's gaze falling on him, Wang Bao could only say bitterly: "It's not the adults who are marking the papers inside, but a student outside complained to the emperor, saying that someone impersonated him to take the imperial examination."
"He said he was the real Hu Erqing, and the test paper inside was not answered by him."
"That student was covered in wounds and looked like he had been ambushed. He luckily escaped and came to the capital."
After Wang Bao finished speaking, he also found this matter bizarre. The man claimed to be his twin brother and replaced his place in the imperial examination. On the way to the capital, he drugged him and pushed him down the forest, and took his document bag all the way to the capital.
After learning that he was not dead, the other party bribed the bandits to kill him. Fortunately, he was lucky enough to escape.
Such a bizarre thing has not happened for many years. Wang Bao was shocked after hearing it and hurried over to report it.
Since this was related to the imperial examination, this student looked miserable outside the examination room, which had attracted many indignant students.
Xiao Huan pressed his eyebrows and asked, "Why doesn't he go to the government office to report to the authorities?"
Wang Bao lowered his head and said, "He said that his twin brother had bribed the government, and he would be arrested as soon as he went there, and would fall into a trap."
That's what they say.
Xiao Huan paused and said, "Let's go and take a look."
Xie Ling had never seen such a thing before. After hearing Wang Bao's narration, he became a little curious and wanted to see what was going on with this real and fake student, so he nodded.
"Your Majesty, wait for me."
The two of them walked out of Zheng Daru's house and headed towards the examination room. They saw people gathered together from afar. The scale was even larger than what the Eagle Guard had reported before.
"What's going on?"
"That brother is so cruel."
"After all, he is his biological brother. How could he be so cruel?"
The man kneeling on the ground and filing a complaint claimed to be the real Hu Erqing. He looked honest, but his body was covered with bruises and his face was covered with bloodstains. This really fit his story of being pushed off a cliff.
Xie Ling watched outside for a while, feeling a little curious.
"Haven't you compared the handwriting?"
Even if twin brothers look alike, there should be some differences in their handwriting, right?
The students watching nearby said, "I don't know about that. The brother who pretended to be him did not show up."
"But if you want to get the handwriting, I'm afraid you have to look at the test paper. Ordinary students don't have that right."
The examiner inside didn't dare to take out the test paper without permission.
Xie Ling was a little confused: "This shouldn't be the case. Someone has already complained to the emperor in front of the examination room."
"Why hasn't that brother shown up yet?"
No matter what, we should put a stop to the situation, right?
Xiao Huan glanced at him calmly, and the eunuch beside him lowered his voice and said, "They have already gone to find the "Hu Dacheng" who replaced his brother."
The officials from the yamen in front maintained order, and matters concerning the imperial examinations could only be reported layer by layer. After all, such a major matter as imperial examination substitution would involve so many people that one could lose one's head if one was not careful.
Xie Ling looked at Hu Erqing in front of him and always felt that this matter was strange. There was an indescribable weirdness in the whole thing.
Xiao Huan waited patiently for a while, and then the Eagle Guard came to report.
"Sir, the inn where Hu Dacheng stayed is now empty, and all the packages inside are gone."
The building is empty...
It looked like he was fleeing for fear of crime, but Xiao Huan frowned.
"Where does Hu Dacheng live?"
The Eagle Guard whispered, "It's the Tongyu Inn in the south." This inn is located in a remote area with few people, and it is very far from the examination hall. It is obvious that it is not inhabited by rich people. Most of the people living in it are students who are going to Beijing to take the imperial examinations but are short of money.
Xiao Huan paused, with a half-smile on his face.
"Tell me, how can Hu Dacheng, who lives in this kind of inn, have the money to hire bandits to hunt down Hu Erqing?"
Moreover, Hu Erqing also said that Hu Dacheng was in collusion with the government... It’s not that Xiao Huan has much confidence in the capital under his rule, but are the officials of the government stupid if they are involved in such things? What are they trying to gain?
He glanced at the Eagle Guard beside him.
"Ask him which official in the government office Hu Dacheng is involved with?"
The Eagle Guard, who had disguised himself as an ordinary person, nodded and asked a question according to His Majesty's wishes. Hu Erqing, who was kneeling on the ground, remained calm.
"I don't know which lord my brother is acquainted with. I just vaguely saw my brother communicating with someone in the capital on the way to the capital, and he once let it slip that he has someone he knows in the government office."
Now that Hu Dacheng is gone, there is no evidence, no correspondence, and it is hard to be convinced based only on Hu Erqing's words.
Even Xie Ling felt that... although he looked miserable, he had to rely on evidence for everything, and he couldn't just say that without any evidence. And after talking for a long time, the official didn't even know his name.
Hu Dacheng couldn't find anyone for a long time, and Xie Ling couldn't help but have a bad feeling in his heart.
"Isn't something wrong with him?"
Xiao Huan: "Not stupid." He didn't trust this so-called twin brother from the beginning, especially when he sent people to look for Hu Dacheng but received no response.
Even if one wants to escape from the capital, a written document is required. If there is no record at the city gate, it means that the person is still in the capital.
So where will it be?
He sent more people, and when he looked at Hu Erqing on the ground, his meaning was unclear. If Hu Dacheng was already dead when he was found, there would probably be a "confession" written in blood beside him, explaining that he had used someone else's identity.
As time went on, Hu Erqing wept more and more, and Hu Dacheng had not yet shown up. Most of the students who were watching had begun to believe Hu Erqing, and suggested, "Why not contact the teacher at the Imperial College and ask for the handwriting for comparison?"
When Hu Erqing lowered his head and heard these words, his expression relaxed a little.
System: "Why is he so happy about comparing handwriting?"
Now even it found it strange.
Well, people outside said that when comparing the test papers, shouldn't he normally look like he's been vindicated? Why doesn't it feel like that?
Xie Ling only felt that the sense of incongruity was even stronger, but why did he do this?
Whether it was Hu Dacheng replacing Hu Erqing or Hu Erqing framing Hu Dacheng in order to reap the benefits, a lot of energy was required.
This is far beyond the reach of two ordinary students from remote areas. Is there someone behind this?
Xiao Huan and Xie Ling thought of the same thing. At the beginning, people might think it was just a bad thing between students. But now, regardless of whether it was a test or not, he didn't believe that there was no one behind this matter.
But who arranged this and what did they want to do? He tapped his fingers slightly, and seeing that the Eagle Guard had not received any news, he glanced at the side.
"Go and tell them that the matter has been reported."
"Put Hu Erqing in a safe place. The government will investigate the whole matter."
"Yes, sir."
The Eagle Guards took the order and disappeared, and only then did Xiao Huan and Xie Ling leave the entrance of the examination room.
"Your Majesty, do you have anyone you suspect?" Xie Ling asked doubtfully.
Xiao Huan nodded and shook his head.
“Not sure.”
"But there are not many people in this capital who want to cause trouble for me, or who have the ability to cause trouble for me."
Xie Ling hesitated for a moment: "What should we do now?"
This incident happened suddenly after the provincial examination. It didn't look good no matter how you looked at it. According to the records of the ancients, it must be a prophecy.
"Wait." He paused, looking at Xie Ling who seemed a little worried, and said lightly: "I will not be affected by this matter."
Xiao Huan has encountered all kinds of things over the years, and his heart has long been hard as iron. Although this matter is a little difficult to investigate, there will always be a way to find out.
He wasn't that worried.
That's good. Seeing that His Majesty really looked fine, Xie Ling felt relieved. Xiao Huan glanced at the crowd.
"Let's go back to the palace first."
"Oh, okay." Xie Ling originally planned to stay at Zheng Daru's house, but ended up coming out to look at the matter of taking the imperial examination instead. He didn't know what was going on, so he returned to the palace. When he returned to Qianyuan Hall, he was stunned for a moment.
Why is he back again?
system:……
"How should I know?"
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. After an incense stick of time, Xie Ling relaxed.
Forget it, since he’s here, why would he go out? He’s used to sleeping in the side hall anyway.
After a busy day, Xie Ling washed up and went to bed. As he lay on the couch with his eyes closed, his mind was still on the bizarre incident of the day. He was still a little confused until he woke up the next morning.
After dinner, I remembered to go look for His Majesty.
Xiao Huan was looking at the memorial, and when he saw him coming, he handed it to him.
Xie Ling suddenly reacted: ...
"This, this, is this something I can watch?" He just wanted to watch a detective story, how could he read memorials to the emperor?
He was startled, Xiao Huan raised his eyebrows:
"This is about a case of substitution for a science student. Why don't you want to read it?"
If you don't want to watch...
Look and see!
Before His Majesty could finish his words, Xie Ling immediately tightened his grip and took back the memorial. At this time, he smiled awkwardly and opened it to look at the paper.
Well, he read on at a glance, and this time he was a little surprised.
——Hu Dacheng hasn’t been found yet?
The Eagle Guards should have searched the entire capital city since yesterday, but they still couldn't find anyone under such intense search?
This is a case of neither a living person nor a dead body.
Xiao Huan was not surprised: "If someone committed the crime deliberately, it is normal that we can't find him."
"But I did find out something interesting."
He gave another letter to Xie Ling.
Xie Ling flipped it open and took a look: "Well, was Hu Dacheng disqualified from taking the imperial examination because of his words?"
Hu Erqing and Hu Dacheng are twin brothers. They have been local prodigies since childhood. They are studious and intelligent, and are loved by the teachers in the school. However, Hu Erqing is more honest, while Hu Dacheng is lively and likes to socialize. A few years ago, he and his friends got drunk and said something wrong about the matter of Prince Cheng, so it was reported to the upper officials, and Hu Dacheng was disqualified from the provincial examination.
"Prince Cheng?" How is he related to this person? Xie Ling suddenly remembered that he had mentioned this person in his novel. He was the younger brother of the current emperor. However, because he coveted the throne and intended to rebel, he secretly hid weapons at home and was imprisoned in the Dali Temple after being exposed.
The situation was tense at the time. Both Empress Dowager Sun and Prince Cheng were at odds with the current emperor. Many officials in the court took sides, including students who had not yet entered the court as officials. Hu Dacheng had also taken a fancy to Prince Cheng, so he had spoken for him before the rebellion broke out.
"In your opinion, will he become the Prince of a County again this time?"
Xiao Huan wanted to test Xie Ling, so he turned around, took a sip of tea and asked.
Xie Ling: …
As he was eating melon, the test came. He was stunned for a moment, and seeing the look of His Majesty who was definitely testing him, he could only think: "I don't think it will be that simple."
Although few people knew that Hu Dacheng was implicated in the matter of Prince Cheng, it was not impossible to find out if we looked carefully. If he was really Prince Cheng's man, it would be too conspicuous to bump into him like this. Moreover, Prince Cheng was in the Dali Temple now. What could he promise him?
After all the calculations, it’s not really worth it.
"I think there is someone else behind this."
Xiao Huan nodded: "Yes."
"It's Queen Mother Sun and Prince Shun."
"Um, what?"
Queen Mother Sun? The one who was driven to guard the mausoleum? Xie Ling was stunned for a moment, then realized that if Queen Mother Sun had done this by using the name of Prince Cheng, then it was true. But why did Queen Mother Sun do this?
Xie Ling didn't quite understand the relationship, Xiao Huan said calmly: "This stepmother just wants to come back."
"By the way, if successful, she can also plant a spy in the imperial court to help her find out what's going on there. After staying in the imperial mausoleum for so many years, she can't help herself."
He used the incident of brothers killing each other during the imperial examination to remind the people of the world how he, the emperor, came to power.
Imprisoning one's own brother and treating one's stepmother harshly?
Xiao Huan sneered.
Oh, so that’s how it is.
Xie Ling glanced at His Majesty cautiously.
"Then your majesty, are you angry?"
Xiao Huan: "I'm not angry."
"Your Majesty, is it true?"
Xie Ling blinked, somewhat unconvinced.
Xiao Huan: ... He was indeed not angry. Queen Mother Sun was not his biological mother, and he already knew what kind of person she was. It was not surprising. But it was another matter that made him unhappy.
"I am just annoyed as to why Prince Shun got involved in this matter and covered up for Queen Mother Sun."
Prince Shun has always been the least involved among the clan members. When Xiao Huan was young, he was also taken care of by this imperial uncle. However, he did not expect that the other party would get involved this time, which was like a stab in the back for him.
Xie Ling thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, please wait until you find Hu Dacheng first."
"Everything will be known by then."
…
The events outside had not yet subsided, but Xiao Huan had long speculated that when Hu Erqing was taken away and the incident first appeared among the people, it was a warning from God, and that the current emperor would also be considered an unfilial son, so he suppressed it and did not cause the kind of disturbance that Empress Dowager Sun had imagined.
Xiao Huan narrowed his eyes. In fact, he had been waiting for an audience with Prince Shun these days.
However, Prince Shun had not made any move until today, and he was a little disappointed.
Xie Ling glanced at Emperor Wu secretly and said, "Your Majesty, now that things have come to this, why don't you summon Prince Shun to ask him directly?"
If Prince Shun still doesn't say anything, then there is nothing we can do.
Xiao Huan was silent for a while and said, "Go and call Prince Shun."
He also wanted to know why the emperor's uncle did this.
Wang Bao outside responded, bowed and left, feeling slightly relieved. His Majesty had been in a bad mood these past two days, and those who served him were terrified. Only Master Xie dared to make a direct proposal at this time.
…
Prince Shun who was outside the palace was soon summoned into the palace. The prince's carriage stopped at the palace gate. It was the first time that Xie Ling saw the old prince, and he looked a little curious.
"Tongzi, Prince Shun doesn't have a very strong presence in history."
"It seems that the only thing I remember is that in the spring of the tenth year of Qianyuan, when Emperor Wu was preparing to send troops to the Xiongnu, Prince Shun strongly opposed it and had a dispute with Emperor Wu."
There is no detailed record in the history books, only a brief mention. Xie Ling coughed lightly and looked outside.
"Your Majesty, I will go down first then?"
It wouldn't be appropriate for him to be there at this time. Didn't he see that Wang Bao and the others had already left?
Xiao Huan should have asked Xie Ling to leave. After all, Xie Ling did not hold an official position at the moment, so it was not appropriate for him to stay here. However, there were only three of them in the hall, so Xiao Huan inexplicably wanted him to stay. At this time, he just said, "No need."
"Let Prince Shun come in."
An old prince in his seventies walked in. Although he was over 70 years old, he looked energetic. After seeing His Majesty, he bowed first and then looked at Xie Ling next to him and was stunned for a moment.
However, when he was summoned by His Majesty at this time, he already had some ideas in his mind, so he did not ask about Xie Ling.
Xie Ling breathed a sigh of relief and stood quietly beside His Majesty.
"Uncle, please take a look." After three days of searching, they finally found solid evidence. The student, who was either Hu Dacheng or Hu Erqing, disappeared to the Shun Prince's mansion. This uncle was older than the late emperor, and he was the only one who could help Empress Dowager Sun after so many years in the capital. What Xiao Huan doubted was that Shun Prince was clearly against Empress Dowager Sun in the beginning, so why did he change his mind and want to welcome Empress Dowager Sun back to the capital?
Prince Shun glanced at the memorial without changing his expression.
"Your Majesty, the Eagle Guard is indeed worthy of its reputation." When he did this, he had half hoped to conceal it, but now it seems that he can no longer hide it.
Seeing that Prince Shun still refused to bow his head, Xiao Huan couldn't help but frown.
"Is that all the Emperor wants to say?"
Prince Shun raised his head and asked, "Your Majesty, what do you want to hear from me?"
The atmosphere in the air seemed a little stagnant. Xie Ling didn't expect the old prince to be so tough and not even bow his head at this time. He was shocked.
I secretly went to see Emperor Wu and saw that the person at the top of the table had a gradually darkening expression.
Xie Ling hadn't seen His Majesty with this expression for a long time. Usually, it felt like he really had the intention to kill.
Xiao Huan sneered: "Just look at how many benefits the Queen Mother gave to the Emperor's uncle."
"I am a little curious about how to get my uncle out of this mess."
Prince Shun's heart sank: "If you say that the Queen Mother didn't give me any benefits, Your Majesty probably won't believe it."
"But as your majesty said, this old minister did help the queen mother."
"When the Queen Mother asked me to come, I covered up for you. As Your Majesty guessed, the missing student was indeed the real Hu Erqing, and the one who filed the complaint was Hu Dacheng, who was the Queen Mother Sun's man. There was never any twin replacement, it was just a show put on by me and the Queen Mother Sun."
"As for the purpose, may I ask Your Majesty - are you ready to use military force against the Xiongnu in the spring?"
Um?
This sentence made Xie Ling finally react.
Is it because of the Huns?
That’s right! This Prince Shun was a peace advocate. In the past, he argued with Emperor Wu in the court because he thought it was a waste of money and manpower to send troops to the Xiongnu. Now, he could also express his attitude in advance because he guessed Emperor Wu’s intention.
——Welcome Empress Dowager Sun back to the palace to check and balance Emperor Wu.
Restrain Emperor Wu's actions in the court.
Xiao Huan stared at him seriously: "Did someone from the cavalry leak the news?"
No, that cavalry was completely isolated by him, so no one could know about it. So it must be "the emperor's uncle guessed it?"
As expected, Prince Shun said, "I have watched Your Majesty grow up, and I know Your Majesty's temperament very well."
"Your Majesty will never let the Xiongnu go."
"But I just want to say that it has only been more than three years since the annexation of Dayan, and the people have just had a rest and recuperation. Has Your Majesty ever considered this?"
"To resort to war is not what a wise ruler should do."
"Rather than watching Your Majesty start a war and cause instability in the country, I, an old minister, would rather let the Queen Mother return to the court."
"hiss."
Prince Shun clearly knew how fierce the fight between Emperor Wu and Empress Dowager Sun was, but he still said this.
Xie Ling gritted his teeth and said, "He is really not afraid of death."
The system didn't dare to speak, and Xie Ling shook his head.
"Although what he said is partly true, it's not that Your Majesty is aggressive, it's that the Xiongnu won't let us go."
If Xie Ling didn't know history, he wouldn't have known that a powerful figure had emerged from the Xiongnu and had ambitions for the Central Plains. Those who seized the initiative at this time would suffer less losses.
He felt that there was nothing wrong with Emperor Wu's training of cavalry.
Xiao Huan looked at him expressionlessly and asked, "Is this what the Emperor's uncle alone thinks, or does the entire clan think so?"
Even though Prince Shun didn't say anything, Xiao Huan already understood. The royal family had guessed his intention and wanted to stop him now?
The anger that had risen up subsided at this moment. When Xiao Huan was preparing to deal with the Huns, he had anticipated the resistance from the court and the royal family. Now it broke out in advance.
That's good. Now I have time to deal with it. It's better than leaving it until next year and affecting the war.
His expression was indifferent: "Since the emperor's uncle said so, I will tell you."
"The Xiongnu are a great threat to me. I must deal with them."
"This matter is not negotiable and there is no room for negotiation, no matter who comes and any threat is made."
"The emperor's uncle is involved in a major imperial examination case, and the Dali Temple will handle it impartially."
"I will investigate all the people involved one by one."
He finished speaking and looked outside.
"Someone, take Prince Shun out."
These words made Prince Shun's face pause slightly. He didn't expect that His Majesty was still so determined. He couldn't help but frown.
"Your Majesty, are you disregarding the country and the people?"
Xiao Huan looked at him steadily and said word by word: "I sent out the troops only for the sake of my country and my people."
"Since Prince Shun doesn't understand, I have nothing to say."
Xie Ling didn't feel relieved until Prince Shun was taken away.
The Eagle Guard outside came forward to report: "Your Majesty, the real Hu Erqing has been found. His life is not in danger. He is just detained in the palace by Prince Shun."
Xie Ling was relieved to hear that no one was hurt. How did this unlucky brother get involved in such a thing?
His brother had connections with Queen Mother Sun and wanted to kill him for wealth and glory. It was really an unexpected disaster.
I heard that Prince Shun originally wanted to kill him and forge evidence to put an end to it, but for some reason he didn't do it in the end.
Fortunately, he survived.
As Xie Ling was thinking, the golden light above his head kept flashing.
Xiao Huan was feeling unhappy because of the anger of Prince Shun. At this moment, he saw the sigh above Xie Ling's head and paused for a moment.
Forget it, I almost forgot there is an innocent student.
"Make arrangements for Hu Erqing and take him to the government office."
"This time, the police officers handling the case were specially allowed to collect the test papers and compare the handwriting of both parties to verify their identities."
This matter has become so serious that we need some strong evidence, otherwise it will be difficult to close the case based on oral statements alone.
The Eagle Guard bowed his head and responded, then went to do it immediately.
Xie Ling was the only one left in the hall, and something was flashing above his head.
Xie Ling hesitated: "System, should I follow along?"
His Majesty obviously seems to be in a bad mood. Would it be an eyesore if he keeps it?
Xiao Huan: ...
He couldn't help but frown.
When did I say he was an eyesore?
Xie Ling stood there for a while, then looked at His Majesty tentatively and said, "Your Majesty, would you like to go to the garden to ride a horse and hunt to relax for a while?"
I heard that if you’re in a bad mood, you’ll feel better if you do some exercise.
Xiao Huan: "No need."
"Today's memorials have not been processed yet."
A lot of things have been delayed these days because of the commotion caused by Prince Shun and Empress Dowager Sun.
Xie Ling looked at the table and didn't expect His Majesty to be so stubborn. He had to deal with government affairs even when he was in a bad mood.
Sure enough, not everyone can become emperor.
What should I do? I can't go riding and relax. Your Majesty won't get more and more angry when he thinks about it alone in the palace, right?
But how to comfort His Majesty? Xie Ling tried hard to recall what he did when he was in a bad mood.
In modern times, he would probably touch the furry thing, right?
No matter whether it is a cat or a dog, they will not make a sound when you touch them.
But... there aren't any pets or anything like that near Qianyuan Palace.
Thinking of His Majesty's obsession with animals, Xie Ling hesitated for a moment, undecided. The golden light above his head seemed to be stuck, intermittent.
Just as Emperor Wu was expressionless, Xie Ling gritted his teeth and finally made a decision. He suddenly came over and took his Majesty's hand and placed it on his face.
Xiao Huan was slightly startled, and then he heard the young man in front of him say:
"Well, Your Majesty, if you are in a bad mood, you can pinch my face."
"If it hurts, I'll..."
"Just bear it for a while?"
Xie Ling felt a little painful. This could be considered as a disguised form of sucking Mao Rongmao, right? His Majesty should be in a better mood now, right?
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