I have a role in the heavens

Xu Qian smelled the atmosphere of conspiracy and said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty wants to investigate?"

"Master Fu Yin doesn't know either. Master Xu, it's better not to make any assumptions!"

The head catcher glanced at the crowd around him and whispered a reminder, letting Xu Qian know that he had made a mistake.

"I made a mistake!"

Xu Qi'an looked a little sorry on his face, but he was very concerned about this issue in his heart. He had to know who meant it. If it was really Emperor Yuan Jing's idea, it would be a devastating blow to Xu Xinnian. , the goods belong to the emperor's family. If the emperor does not accept it, then the ten years of the new year will be wasted, and there will be no future in the future.

"Thank you for the heads-up reminder. I am eager to deal with this matter and cannot keep you here."

"Master Xu, give me one as a gift."

Jingzhao Mansion had some intention of arresting the head, and asked Xu Qi'an to see him off. Xu Qi'an understood the meaning of the words and nodded, and the two walked out of the watchman's office together.

"Master Xu, it's best to go to the Ministry of Punishment. Once a person is in the hands of the Ministry of Punishment, he can be manipulated by others. If it's too late, I'm afraid everything will happen. That's all."

This catcher has been working in the government office for many years. He has seen many similar cases and is fully aware of the intrigues in the officialdom.

After sending away the arrester of Jingzhao Mansion who had reported the news, Xu Qian turned around and entered Haoqi Tower, and began to ask his father Wei for help.

Xu Qi'an's intuition told him that this matter was not that simple. There were intrigues and intrigues in the officialdom. He lacked experience and his rank was not high enough. Fortunately, he had a thick leg to hug. Entering Haoqi Tower, in the tea room, Xu Qi'an told Wei Yuan about the matter and asked for help.

"Please Wei Gong teach me."

Wei Yuan held the teacup with a normal expression. These things were like a breeze to him. He had ups and downs in his official career and had to experience impeachment every day. He pondered for a moment and spoke.

"I didn't receive a notification from the palace, which means His Majesty doesn't want me to know, at least not immediately."

Xu Qian's expression changed and became much gloomier. Heavy pressure surged into his heart and he said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty wants to mess with me?"

"What a vulgar word to use."

Wei Yuan's face was full of disgust. This eunuch was so knowledgeable and talented. He felt helpless at Xu Qi'an's vulgarity and shook his head.

"You really think you are Xu Zisheng. You two brothers are not qualified enough to be punished by His Majesty in person. You should be impeached!"

"As for the purpose, first of all, according to the examples of previous imperial examination fraud cases, since it is fraud, there must be an examiner leaking the questions. This spring, the three examiners are Zhao Tingfang, a bachelor of Dongge University, Liu Hong, a censor of Youdu, and Wen Qian Qingshu, Grand Scholar of Yuange. I don’t need to pay attention to the rest of the little miscellaneous fish for the time being!”

"Among the three examiners who may have leaked the questions, Qian Qingshu was the first to be excluded."

Xu Qian breathed a sigh of relief, as long as Emperor Yuan Jing didn't mess with him, it would be fine, but his face was still not relaxed, his brows furrowed slightly, and he asked with some doubts. :

"Why exclude Qian Qingshu?"

Wei Yuan put down the tea cup in his hand, looked calm, and told Xu Qian about the situation in the court.

: "The impeachment memorial must first go through the cabinet. The cabinet is Wang Zhenwen's territory, and Qian Qingshu is Wang Zhenwen's man. Do you understand this?"

"I understand, Wang Shoufu didn't send the memorial back, which means this matter has nothing to do with Qian Qingshu!"

Xu Qian nodded. In this case, the target would be the other two, but he didn't know who he was targeting.

Wei Yuan still took good care of Xu Qian, his biological son, and continued to analyze the matter for him.

"Your cousin Xu Xinnian is from Yunlu Academy. Although there are many factions in the court, it is the tacit understanding of all civil servants to jointly suppress the scholars of Yunlu Academy. This is also the main reason for the fraud in the imperial examination."

"Why didn't Yunlu Academy remind me?"

Xu Qian frowned, a little confused, and asked Wei Yuan.

"It is inevitable to encounter suppression, but it may not be due to fraud in the imperial examination. Even if Xu New Year wins the top prize, he can still be swept into the corner. There are too many ways to suppress and exclude a person in the officialdom. How to guard against it?"

Wei Yuan shook his head, smiled, and continued.

"Back then, Xu Zisheng was excluded from the court just because he was from the Wuxun Group, even though he was from the Imperial Academy. Although he was not sent to a remote place, he was suppressed. Even the court has never entered, which shows how serious the conflict between civil servants and officials is!"

"If it weren't for his excellent background and advanced Confucianism and Taoism, how could he break through the blockade and suppression and enter the cabinet? The dangers are far more dangerous than your cousin!"

Wei Yuan sighed, thought for a while, thought clearly about the cause and effect of the matter, and sneered.

"Xu New Year is your cousin, and you are my confidant. When you encounter a major issue related to your future, will you ask me for help? If I don't respond, there will be a rift between us. If I respond, the subsequent moves will be coming."

"Our Majesty is happy to see me fighting with the civil servants, so the news from the palace is not spread."

Xu Xinyin was involved in the imperial examination fraud case, and there were no more than three outcomes: First, if the evidence was conclusive, he would be exiled or beheaded. The second is that the evidence is conclusive, but the guilt is relatively minor, and the person is expelled from the job and will be banned from employment for life. The third is that he is found not guilty after investigation, but his reputation is ruined and his future is bleak.

Xu Qian took a deep breath. His head was as big as a bucket. Scholars are so disgusting. They do all these sneaky and sinister tricks. If there is any conflict, if it were a martial artist, it would be nothing more than drawing a sword and fighting, fighting it out, it would be more straightforward.

"Wei Gong, what should I do?"

Xu Qi'an humbly asked for advice, and he was full of confidence when it came to solving the case. When it comes to officialdom battles, he is just a little bronze. How can he defeat a group of the strongest kings? Fortunately, behind him there is also a peak king, Dad Wei.

"I can leave, but in this case, Xu New Year will be mine, and the label on him will never be washed away in this life."

Wei Yuan drank tea and looked at Xu Qi'an with gentle eyes. He wanted to explain the stakes clearly to avoid Xu Qi'an complaining in the future. He had always known Xu Qi'an's plan. He could become an eunuch, but his family could not become more eunuchs, otherwise If Wei Yuan falls, the Xu family will inevitably be doomed, so Xu Qi'an needs to share risks and avoid putting eggs in one basket.

"This matter is very troublesome. Even if Wei Gong takes action to help Erlang escape, I'm afraid it will be very painful. Moreover, if Erlang becomes a eunuch like me, it is better to let him leave his hometown and leave the capital!"

Xu Qian frowned and sat quietly for a long time. A bitter look appeared on his face and he asked in a low voice.

"Wei Gong, is there any other way to deal with this matter?"

"have!"

Wei Yuan said categorically, which surprised Xu Qian and looked at him with burning eyes, waiting for the next words.

"Dad Wei taught me!"

Xu Qian screamed in his heart. He thought that all was lost, but he didn't expect that there were other ways.

"It's actually very simple, you forgot someone!"

Wei Yuan looked at Xu Qian, who was confused by caring, and shook his head slightly. He still lacked exercise, had an impetuous temperament, and was not calm enough when faced with problems. How to take over his own duties in the future and take charge of the night watch still requires the training of love.

"who!"

Xu Qian took a step forward, his eyes fixed on Wei Yuan with a hint of urgency.

"Xu Zisheng, have you forgotten that you asked him to help Xu stay in Kyoto City in the New Year!"

"From this point of view, your cousin is Xu Zisheng's man. The people behind the scenes don't know this at all, and they also slap Xu Zisheng in the face. He has a strong personality and will not tolerate it, so you can ask him for help!"

"Oh, how could I forget him!"

Xu Qi'an slapped his head and suddenly realized that Xu Zisheng had indeed agreed to Xu Xinnian's request to stay in Beijing, and even greeted Xu Xinnian, the official secretary, which left a mark on Xu Xinnian. Now Xu Xinnian has not been sealed. As an official, he was thrown into prison. Wasn't this just a slap in Xu Zisheng's face?

"I'll go to the Yong'an Marquis Mansion now and ask him for help!"

Xu Qi'an came and went in a hurry, and he didn't dare to delay. Xu Xinnian was now in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment, and he could easily be tortured to extract a confession. If one couldn't hold on and beat him, it would be of no use to find Xu Zisheng.

The Yong'an Marquis Mansion was busy, with servants and guards walking in a hurry. Ever since Emperor Yuan Jing granted the marriage, the mansion had begun to prepare various items for the wedding. Xu Zisheng was the only one in the whole mansion who was leisurely.

"Master Hou, this is what happened. It was indeed me who chose the subject and wrote a few poems in advance, but this does not involve imperial examination fraud. Please help me first!"

When Xu Qi'an faced Xu Zisheng, he was very honest and explained everything he had planned on. He knew that if he wanted Xu Zisheng to take action, he must not hide anything.

The corner of Xu Zisheng's mouth curled up slightly. He had known this for a long time. He had memorized the poem "The Road Is Hard" when he was in school. Who else in this world could write it except Xu Qian, the copywriter.

"You're an honest kid and you're not playing tricks on me, otherwise I won't help you!"

Xu Zisheng's words made Xu Qian break into a cold sweat. He understood instantly that Xu Zisheng had known about this for a long time. He was secretly glad that he didn't play tricks in front of this chosen son, otherwise his little cousin would really There is less danger and less danger.

"The person behind the scenes wants to impeach the bachelor of Dongge University, Zhao Tingfang. Of course, he also has the idea of ​​​​shooting the rabbit out of the grass. He wants to involve Wei Yuan and you, killing three birds with one stone, but he doesn't know that Xu New Year is also me. This guy actually dares to hit me in the face, I want to see how many heads he has, how stubborn he is!"

Xu Zisheng's face showed a bit of coldness, he stood up and shouted to Xu Qian who was in shock.

"What are you doing standing there? Why don't you catch up quickly? Let's go to the Criminal Department first to meet your cousin!"

Only then did Xu Qian come back to his senses. He was inexplicably shocked. He didn't expect that this matter would be so complicated and involve a cabinet dispute. The main target turned out to be Zhao Tingfang, the bachelor of Dongge University.

In the Punishment Department Yamen, two guards stood in front of the door, holding long knives on their waists, holding the handle of the knife with their palms, looking around. Their eyes were shining and their expressions were fierce. They looked like martial arts masters at first glance.

Xu Zisheng walked in front, and Xu Qi'an was one step behind. He stood in front of the Xingbu Yamen, full of majesty, and said in a deep voice.

"I'm going to meet Xu New Year, please lead the way!"

Xu Zisheng's voice was extremely calm, but it made the two guards feel great pressure. They quickly bowed and saluted, and whispered with glistening sweat on their foreheads.

"Sir Xu, Xu Xinyin is suspected of cheating in the imperial examination. Lord Shangshu has issued a death order and no one is allowed to visit. You'd better not embarrass the low-ranking people!"

Xu Zisheng nodded. He had expected this and was not surprised. He did not embarrass the two guards and spoke directly.

"Go and inform Sun Shangshu that I am coming!"

Xu Zisheng once served as the Minister of the Ministry of Justice and was an old acquaintance with the Minister of the Ministry of Justice. However, the two had a normal relationship and were not from the same family.

One of the guards quickly ran into the yamen and went to report it. He quickly returned and saluted with clasped fists.

"Master Shangshu invites you!"

Xu Zisheng and the two entered the yamen, passed through the front yard and cloister, and the guards took them into the side hall. On the main seat of the side hall, Sun Shangshu, wearing a scarlet robe, was sitting, with a serious face and an expressionless expression, waiting.

"I've met Sun Shangshu."

Xu Zisheng just said lightly and sat down on the chair, not knowing what politeness meant at all.

Sun Shangshu was not surprised. He knew Xu Zisheng's style very well. He was already very polite. If he was unhappy, he would hit people.

Sun Shangshu glanced at Xu Qi'an behind Xu Zisheng, and felt a little surprised. He didn't expect that this small silver gong could actually invite Xu Zisheng out, which was a big deal.

"Master Xu, you haven't returned to the Criminal Department for a long time. How do you feel?"

Sun Shangshu could naturally maintain his dignity and solemnity when facing Xu Qi'an, but when facing Xu Zisheng, who was stronger than him, he had to smile and start talking.

“It feels like nothing has changed, it’s still the same as usual!”

Xu Zisheng was not in a hurry to explain his purpose. Sun Shangshu knew it well. The two of them started chatting. After a full quarter of an hour, Xu Zisheng's expression straightened and he said.

"Sun Shangshu, people in the Ming Dynasty don't tell secrets. Xu New Year is mine. I had already said hello to the Minister of Civil Affairs and was waiting for him to take up a post in the Ministry of War. Now that something like this has happened, I want to see Xu New Year. !”

Sun Shangshu was shocked that Xu New Year was actually Xu Zisheng's. This was something he had not expected. He frowned slightly, showing a look of embarrassment.

"Sir Xu, you also know that Xu Xinyin is involved in the examination fraud case. This is a serious case. According to the rules of the Criminal Department Yamen, no one is allowed to visit!"

Xu Zisheng looked calm, glanced at Sun Shangshu, his eyes were majestic, an invisible pressure pressed on him, and he said coldly.

"Neither can I?!"

Sun Shangshu felt a little difficult to breathe, as if there was a big mountain on his shoulders, his face was stiff, he barely smiled, and he changed his tone and said.

"Rules are dead, people are alive, Master Xu can naturally visit!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Shangshu felt his body relax, and the pressure suddenly disappeared. He couldn't help but let out a breath, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and was secretly shocked.

"Xu Zisheng is indeed terrifying. His majesty makes me feel unbearable!"

"I'd better not get involved in this matter. I can just sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. There is no need to offend Xu Zisheng!"

"This is best. I won't go see you. Let Xu Qian visit instead of me!"

Xu Zisheng looked back at Xu Qian, who nodded and followed the guards outside the hall towards the prison of the Ministry of Punishments.

Since Sun Shangshu had made up his mind, he naturally would not stop Xu Qi'an from visiting, and would just drink tea quietly.

After a long time, Xu Qian came back, lowered his head and whispered in Xu Zisheng's ear.

"The Ministry of Punishment carried out the punishment, but my cousin's bones are still strong and he didn't confess!"

Xu Zisheng nodded, appreciating Xu New Year even more. A scholar who can withstand the punishment of the Ministry of Punishment has a strong body. He put down the tea cup in his hand, looked at Sun Shangshu, and said in a deep voice.

"Sun Shangshu, this matter has nothing to do with you, and I don't want to say anything more. I only have one thing to ask of Sun Shangshu!"

When Sun Shangshu heard this, he didn't dare to raise his eyebrows. He put down the tea cup in his hand and said with a hypocritical smile on his face.

"Master Xu, what are you talking about? Why are you so polite? If you have anything to say, just say it directly!"

"I only have one request. While Xu New Year is in jail, he must not be tortured, and he cannot be beaten into submission."

"This is easy, Mr. Xu, just rest assured!"

"Thank you very much, Sun Shangshu!"

Xu Zisheng did not stay for long. Sun Shangshu sent Xu Zisheng out of the Penal Department Yamen. Watching his figure gradually disappear, he turned back and gave instructions to the guards.

"Tell the people inside that Xu Xinnian is not allowed to be tortured in the future. Hire a doctor to treat his injuries and take good care of him. There can be no mistakes!"

Chunwei Huiyuan Xu New Year was arrested by the Ministry of Punishment on suspicion of fraud and thrown into prison. This was destined to be a major case that shocked the entire capital. It spread from the government offices and the Ministry of Punishment, and then passed through the six departments, quietly spreading to the entire officialdom of the capital, and then After a few days of fermentation and spread, the entire city of Kyoto will know about it.

During the lunch break, familiar officials and staff gathered in restaurants, teahouses and other places to discuss the imperial examination fraud case.

"I knew that if the students of Yunlu Academy obtained Huiyuan, the princes in the court would agree? Isn't this what happened?"

"You only know one thing but not the other. This matter is definitely not that simple. Then Xu New Year is Xu Qi'an's cousin, Xu Qi'an is the chief poet of Da Feng, and such excellent works as "The Road is Difficult", if there is nothing fishy about it, I I don’t believe it.”

"Bullshit, is there only Xu Qian in this world who can write poetry? Can't we scholars just have a sudden inspiration and a good hand?"

"Okay, there is no point in our arguing about this. Xu New Year is in trouble this time. Regardless of whether there is fraud or not, his future is ruined. I remember that in the twelfth year of Yuanjing, there was a fraud case, and three students were involved. After two years of investigation, he was finally released, but his reputation was ruined and his studies were in ruins."

"A similar case occurred in the 20th year of Yuanjing, but that time the evidence was conclusive, and the students and examiners involved were beheaded by His Majesty."

"If this case is confirmed, as a student of Xu New Year's Yunlu Academy, I have thought about it, and there is no possibility of a change. Do you think Guild Wei will not take action?"

"It is very possible that Xu Qi'an is Wei Gong's confidant and must beg Wei Gong to take action."

"Then what if Wei Gong just sits back and watches?"

"If Mr. Wei doesn't take action, then who else can save Xu Huiyuan? Can we count on Xu Qi'an, a martial artist? He may be a good hand in solving crimes and killing enemies. How can a mere martial artist understand the secrets of officialdom?"

In the Imperial Palace, Dexinyuan, Huaiqing, wearing a plain dress, sat behind the desk and nodded to the chief guard in the room.

"I know, please step back."

After the captain of the guard left, Huaiqing stood up and walked to the window with a cold look on his face, feeling a little surprised.

"I didn't expect him to take action. Xu New Year is actually his. I wonder how he will break the situation?"

Princess Huaiqing frowned and thought for a long time, shook her head and sighed, unable to think of any good solution.

Then, she suddenly thought about what Xu Zisheng would do if he were replaced.