Shen Tangning looked thoughtful: "But ever since the late emperor was in power, he has explicitly forbidden visiting people's homes, believing that this would only encourage the formation of cliques and the pursuit of personal gain."
A playful glint flashed in Chi Yan's eyes: "Even so, who wouldn't want to take a shortcut? Everyone has just moved from the public eye to the private one."
Shen Tangning suddenly realized: "Tang Xu did that too?"
Chi Yan smiled, but his eyes were intriguing: "He has always been a cautious person. He could have relied on his real talent and learning, but he was too eager to climb the ladder. In order to be safe, he found a backer for himself, thinking that he was sure of success, but he did not expect to sow the seeds of disaster."
Shen Tangning rested her chin on her hand thoughtfully: "Under normal circumstances, something like this wouldn't be this serious, serious enough to be considered cheating, but..."
Unfortunately, Tang Xu was unlucky enough to run into a cheating scandal in the imperial examinations. His Majesty was furious and ordered a thorough investigation, so those below him, observing the situation closely, dared not be careless in the slightest.
At this point, someone reported that Tang Xu was suspected of bribing examiners. Even if the circumstances were not serious, he still had to be severely punished!
Shen Tangning pondered the matter carefully. It was a series of interconnected events. She looked up at Chi Yan, her gaze suddenly becoming meaningful: "You were the one who exposed this cheating scandal in the imperial examinations, weren't you?"
Chi Yan was startled by her keen insight. He realized that he had to be careful when talking to Shen Tangning. He had only made a small move, but she was already able to deduce much more.
He touched his nose: "I was just chatting casually with Lord Liu, I didn't expect Lord Liu to be so insightful. He is truly a responsible and good official, haha!"
Shen Tangning smiled and said, "My husband's counterattack was truly brilliant."
She suddenly realized that Chi Yan was much smarter than she had imagined, and that his personality was well-suited for officialdom.
only……
So be it.
Shen Tangning stood up and smiled, "Since His Majesty is personally supervising the exam, then my husband should prepare well."
She also needed to make some preparations. Shen Tangning pondered that perhaps taking this opportunity to go to the palace wouldn't be a bad idea.
——
Tang Xu finally found the Minister of Rites, broke free of the guards on either side and stepped forward: "Your Excellency, this humble subject is dissatisfied, please make a decision!"
The Minister of Rites stopped and looked at him with a puzzled expression: "Who are you?"
Tang Xu said in a deep voice, "This humble citizen, Tang Xu, swears to the heavens that I have never cheated! May I ask, sir, why am I also on the list of cheaters?"
Upon hearing him introduce himself, the Minister of Rites immediately recognized him, and his gaze became meaningful: "Then I'll have to ask you. Why don't you think carefully about what you've done?"
Tang Xu's eyes showed surprise and uncertainty, but he remained calm, cupped his hands and bowed deeply: "This humble subject has a clear conscience, please enlighten me, Your Excellency!"
His demeanor exuded an air of unyielding arrogance, which might have impressed the Minister of Rites under normal circumstances. However, he had lost his patience at this moment: "Tang Xu, the imperial court has explicitly prohibited visiting someone's door. I am simply following the rules. Do not make trouble!"
In an instant, Tang Xu's face turned deathly pale.
He never imagined it was because of this...
Seeing that the other person was about to get into the carriage, he quickly caught up: "Sir, sir, wasn't my punishment a bit too harsh?"
The Minister of Rites turned around and said, "To strip Tang Xu of his official rank and grant him only five years' worth of titles is already considered lenient compared to others!"
Tang Xu was startled and stared blankly as the carriage drove away.
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